Crimes Of Innocence
by LxIsxJustice
Summary: He once said that being innocent was the worst crime of all. He didn't realize how much truth there was in his simple words. ClopinxOC Disney based. Set after the second movie, T for now M for later.
1. Puppeteer

**Hey everyone! I recently rediscovered the wonderful world of HoND and really wanted to get in on the action. I re-read the book and re-watched both Disney movies, and absolutely loved them both. But there was one thing that bothered me about both. Clopin either dies or ends up alone. That didn't seem fair to me, because he was always my favorite obscure character. I think he deserves more than the sadistic twisted personality they put on him, as we see in the Disney movies how good he can be. Therefore, I am writing a Disney based story that comes after the second movie. I hope you all enjoy it!**

The morning was incredibly warm for a November morning, and everyone was taking advantage of the sun's begrudging appearance. The men of the city were up earlier than usual, out to do their jobs with more vigor than had been seen in quite some time. Even the bells rang earlier than usual, their ringer up at a ridiculously early hour as well.

However, not everyone was excited for such a fantastically lovely morning. Jet black eyes opened blearily as he was prodded awake by a pair of small hands.

"Clopin. _Clopin_. CLOPIN! Wake UP!" the voice of a child screeched in his ear, and he tried to wave it off and roll back over. Alas, his endeavors to ward off the little tyrant were in vain.

"Clooooooopin! Wake up immediately, we want to hear a story," a small voice whined. This puzzled the Gypsy King's already muddled-with-sleep mind_. What the hell did these kids take me for; their own personal entertainer? Wait a moment, how on earth did someone get into the Court Of Miracles?_ He thought, worried that his hiding place had been exposed. Suddenly, Clopin sat straight up, giving his head a rush of vertigo, and he groaned and held his aching head in his hands. Damn Phoebus and his offer to buy Clopin a drink the night before. Or two.

The ex-captain had been lonely when Esmeralda had been busy helping some children to dance, so the King had very graciously offered to shirk his duties and spend some quality "man time" with his newest Court member, providing he paid for the drinks. Phoebus had agreed, as he had a stable job—damn him—and could pay for such entertainment.

When the rush of blood left his head, Clopin opened his eyes once again and was immediately confused as to where he was. It was very bright, so he knew he wasn't in the catacombs. And it was very brightly colored. _Oh, right…_He had forgotten he slept in his little wagon he entertained out of to get away from Esmeralda's scathing looks for letting Phoebus get a little too tipsy the night before. Better to face a night of cold than be in the same room as his fiery-tempered cousin.

Small hands poked his side again, and he looked down, surprised to see little Louisa looking at him with an adorable expression of child-like indignation at his ignoring her. He immediately smiled, hoping he hadn't really offended the little girl, as she was one of his favorite (and best) customers.

"Sorry, little one. I didn't realize where I was. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," he said, tapping the little girl on the nose playfully.

"For a whole five minutes!" she shrieked in laughter, jumping on him like a horse. He picked her up on his back and carried her back outside, where he was surprised to see people already about on their daily routines.

A group of children had been milling around the wagon, hoping Louisa could wake the Gypsy King so they could get on with their day. Clopin let Louisa down and went to get his puppets. "What story would you like me to tell today?" he asked them as he sorted all the puppets into piles by story.

Several requests went up, and since they couldn't agree, he decided to pick a brand new play he had been working on over the last couple of weeks. His friend through Esmeralda, Quasimodo, had recently found a girl who liked him as much as he liked her. They had been courting for some time now, and were planning on getting married in Notre-Dame in a few weeks. He hadn't thought any girl would ever get past the unfortunate features on the hunchback, but he was glad Madellaine had. He likened the girl to a younger sister, and was proud of her for overlooking what so many people couldn't. After all he had been through, Quasimodo deserved someone like her, though Clopin would never say that out loud.

He liked to tease the bell ringer mercilessly unless Esmeralda, Phoebus, or Madellaine were around. He'd even told him that this year's Festival of Fools crown would be fitted just for him, enjoying his look of terrified horror. When the hunchback spilled the beans on him, Madellaine had glared at and scolded him, Phoebus had frowned disapprovingly, and Esmeralda had socked him right in the eye. (He'd told the children he'd gotten the black eye it in a tavern fight).

As he told the story of Quasimodo's new lover, the kids sat dumbly, listening intently. A woman wandered over to the caravan and watched while she held what looked to be her daughter in her arms. She had dull reddish-brown hair and brown eyes to match. She smiled as he caught her eye, and he smiled warily back. She sat down with the other children and the baby drooled as it watched the colorful puppets. The children suddenly broke into applause when Madellaine and Quasi themselves walked into the same area where the wagon was. The questions immediately started up.

"Are you in love?"

"Are you getting married?"

"Are you ever afraid of him?"

Madellaine looked surprised, and the poor man beside her looked downright spooked by the kids. Clopin grinned and skipped over to the pair, leaning in to hug Madellaine. "I was just telling your story of whirlwind romance to the children," seeing Quasi's discomfort, he said mischievously, "Don't worry, Quasi, I left the…romantic details…out of it." Quasimodo's face went about twelve different shades of red, until he matched his fiery hair to a 't'.

Unaware of this, Madellaine recovered and said to the children, "Yes, we are very much in love, yes we are going to get married, and no I am_ never_ afraid of him." She looked up at Quasimodo and smiled softly, as he got a stupid grin on his face at her words. He was still blushing a little.

Rolling his eyes, Clopin laughed, "Alright, alright, enough of this mushy love nonsense. It's making me sick to my stomach. And for Maria's sake, Quasi, wipe that ridiculous smile off your face." At the mention of it, the hunchback's face went an even deeper red. Madellaine immediately came to his defense.

"You know, Clopin, if you got yourself a wife—or if you even could—you'd understand the feeling," she smirked at his indignant look of shock.

"I'll have you know that I could get any girl I wanted, but I don't care to because most women are annoying and don't know a good man when they see one," he retorted haughtily. Louisa looked up at him with tears leaking down her face and he immediately softened.

"Oh, come now, Louisa, let's not ruin your pretty face with tears. Of course I didn't mean _all _girls, just annoying snots that think they're better than all of us."

Her face immediately brightened and he realized with a mental kick to himself that they were crocodile tears. He immediately put her down with a huff.

"Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have a King's duties to fulfill and I can't be bothered with the lot of you until tomorrow. Now shoo!" he started pushing Quasimodo back towards the direction they came and Madellaine chuckled and followed. The woman he had forgotten about moved away with the baby and the kids finally dispersed. He was left to his own musings on what the spit-fire fiancé of Quasi had said.

_I could too get a girl! Maybe it is time to settle down. If I wanted. But I don't. Women are much too obnoxious and I have an entire people to look after. Especially now that—_

But he was ripped from his internal monologue as suddenly shouts came a short ways away. _Speak of the devil_.

Quickly leaping over the counter of the caravan, he sprinted at full speed, dodging passing people nimbly as he ran through the streets of Paris. He got to the source of the sound; a group of the new prince of Paris's guards were trying to round up a group of his gypsy friends to bother them and get them to leave the square.

Clopin grimaced. The new prince, rightfully named Albain (for he had the fairest complexion anyone had ever seen) hated gypsies almost as much as Judge Claude Frollo had. Luckily, it hadn't escalated into a massacre like it had before, but the guards still persecuted them when they were bored.

It appeared the gypises were holding their own in the shouting match until a huge guard picked up one of the boys by the collar. Clopin felt anger building and stalked forward silently until he was behind the guard. He tapped the guard on the shoulder and when he turned around, punched him in the jaw.

Clopin could feel the bones in his fist shatter, but it did its job. The oaf stumbled back and fell on his rear, landing in a pile of muddy water. For a split second, pain was the only thing Clopin could register, but instinct took over rapidly. He ran after the others, the guards hot in his trail. He leaped over carts and dodged pedestrians as the guards followed closely behind him. He wasn't able to shake them, and it was grating on his already frayed nerves. Deciding to end this game, he jumped towards the ledge of the rooftop closest to him, and hung on when his foot slipped. The pain in his left hand made it impossible to hang on with it, so he was stuck there, dangling like a fool, with no options. _Just peachy…_

The guards found him like that, and they laughed mockingly at his plight. Though he was too high up to reach, the King of Gypsies knew it was only a matter of time before they got smart and figured out a way to get him down. Then, who knows what would happen to him.

He tried to stay calm, really he did, but the sounds of them jeering at him ticked him off. He swung agilely down, doing a signature flip, and landed before their surprised forms. Holding his injured hand near his face for protection, he beckoned with his other hand for them to see who wanted to try and get in a lucky punch. One of them stepped cockily forward, but he was immediately decked by Clopin's good hand. The others realized they would have to gang up on him to get the advantage and that they did.

Soon, Clopin realized that things were going to get very ugly very fast. One had pinned his arms behind him—his broken hand screaming in protest—and the others were raining blows down on him. He tried to struggle free, but all he could do was cringe while they beat him mercilessly.

Through his struggling mind was the thought that this must have been what Quasimodo felt like at the Feast of Fools. Well, if he ever got out of here alive, he vowed, he would immediately apologize to Quasi for the incident many years ago. Blood was streaming down his face and his vision blurred.

A good punch to the temple was enough to knock Clopin out, and the guards left him by the garbage to die of blood loss. All in all, not a good thing for the King.

The last thing he registered as he struggled in and out of consciousness was a woman's voice telling him that it was okay. He wondered briefly if Maria had come for him, and with that, he drifted off into sleep.

**Read and Review my friends! Reviews are like oxygen, reviews are a many splendored thing, reviews lift us up where we belong, all you need are reviews….oh wait. That's love. XD**


	2. Unlikely Meeting

**Helo again! I was so pleased that people are actually reading my story. I thought I'd be written off pretty quick. I have a firm policy that I do not put MostDesirableCharacterxOC, and I couldn't decide if Clopin was a desirable character or not. I think so sometimes, but he's got this tendency towards the (not only melodramatic) but the sadistic, so I thought it was't going against my code. Either way, I'm glad people are reading it. Anyways, here is the next chapter. I pretty much know where this is going (though if you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them) so updates should be pretty quick. It's going to be a long story (over 20 chapters, I'm guessing) so you'll have to be patient with me. On with the show!**

A woman with reddish-brown hair walked down the streets of Paris, holding her baby in her arms. Colette admired, as she always did, the cathedral and its beautiful stain glass windows. Ever since she was little she had taken a detour from the market to see the magnificent church, and she stared up at it, earning strange looks from everyone else.

Sighing happily, she nuzzled her child's cheek and continued her quest to the shops to buy fabrics for her trade. She was a seamstress, and a very good one at that. Anywhere she went she would see her creations on people that walked by, their clothes drawing attention to each individual who wore her garments.

As she neared the store, she noticed a small wagon in the middle of the square. Adorned with bright colors and embellished with all types of tapestry, it was beautiful, if not a little shabby. Intrigued, she walked over to it to see what was going on.

A fairly large group of children were gathered around it laughing gaily and clapping for a man who was even more colorful than his caravan. He had raven hair cascading down his neck; he obviously was not one for hair cuts. He had a funny goatee that made his face look drawn, but overall he was quite good looking, though he looked a little too skinny. She was pretty sure that he was a gypsy, and that probably explained his thin frame due to lack of food.

Unlike most people, she had no real problem with the gypsies. Her husband had harbored gypsies in their house, until Judge Frollo had found them out. He had taken her beloved to the Palace of Justice, and killed him in an attempt to get information about a place called the Court of Miracles. She'd later been told that it was a gypsy safe-haven and somewhat of a nest for them. She hated Frollo with a passion and had tried to treat everyone with the basic respect that all humans deserve. Looking down at Amsie, her baby, she frowned at the thought of the Judge and his wicked ways.

As Colette wandered over to the wagon, she caught the man's eyes and smiled brightly, hoping to convey that she wasn't a danger. It seemed to work, though he looked rather suspicious of her presence. In time, she figured, he forgot her because he resumed his apparently cheerful attitude for the young ones.

He told the story of the bell ringer, who had found a lover despite his deformities. She found this to be true when the mentioned couple came by to say hello. At first she was shocked that anyone could look so ugly, but she smiled as she watched them. The hunchback was obviously very shy and gentle, so she knew he must be a good person, despite his fearsome appearance.

When they had left, she got up with her little one and strode away from the wagon, smiling at the beauty of the day, and how nice the little puppet show had been.

Back on track, she walked into the weaver's store and brightened when she saw the daughter was running the shop today. Colette had always liked the teenage girl, who was named Sophia.

"Good day Sophia. Do you have the fabric I ordered in yet?" smiling, she petted Sophia's cat, while looking around the shop.

"Yes, it came in two days ago. How are you, Colette? I haven't seen you in awhile," Sophia responded jovially. She greatly admired the older woman and it showed if the discounts were any indication.

"Oh, wonderful. And I'm doing well. Have you seen the little caravan outside yet? The play was wonderful. And Amsie was drooling she was so happy," she chuckled. Sophia laughed.

"Yeah, I saw it earlier this week. Do you know who the performer is?" when Colette shook her head no, Sophia grinned and whispered like it was some big secret. "His name is Clopin, and he's actually the King of the Gypsies. He apparently helped lead the resistance against Frollo some years back."

Colette liked him even better now. "Well, good for him. I'm glad that someone was at least willing to stand up to a demon like the Judge. Now, here is your money, and I will be back for more before you know it."

Thanking Sophia, she left the shop with a bundle of cloth in one arm and a bundled up baby in another. Completely at ease, she walked leisurely down to the next square in content silence. Suddenly, she heard shouting coming from near her house, and she quickened her steps, hoping nothing was happening to her home.

What she saw irked her immensely. A group of guards were picking on a much smaller group of gypsies, trying to make them leave from their spot on the corner. She was about to walk over to them and see what was going on when she spied the man from earlier, Clopin apparently, walk behind the guard and give him the punch of his life.

With a wince, she heard his finger bones crack and he withdrew his hand in pain. She was sure he was going to be caught right there, but he regained his composure and ran off after his friends. The guards pursued him and they were gone as quickly as they came.

Hoping idly that they would get away, Colette walked swiftly back to her house, in case anyone came back to the square. She _really_ didn't want to have a run in with the guards today.

Stepping inside her house, she felt at ease, as she shut the heavy door behind her.

Several hours later, she re-emerged from the house. Nanny had offered to take Amsie for a while so Colette could attend the evening mass at Notre-Dame. Grateful, she went out into the cold night air, wrapping her shawl around her more tightly. She was lucky she could even afford a shawl. Most people were practically running to the church, just to get out of the miserable wet streets.

She scoffed as she compared the lovely morning: bright, cheerful, warm to the frigid evening. It was pretty comical.

"And yet, it's still a good place to live," she mused out loud. "Now…" she corrected.

While she was walking towards the cathedral, she passed by an alley that contained heaps of trash. Wrinkling her nose, she tried to pass quickly, but her eyes caught the glint coming off of something shiny in the small passage. Excitement gripped her as she thought she might have stumbled upon some gold coins, so she hurried into the dark street.

As she grew closer, she was suddenly seized with fear as she realized the gold was coming off of the bells on a body's clothes. And not just any body.

It was Clopin: The King of Gypsies, and he looked pretty dead to her. The blood on his face had long dried, and he was as sallow as Death himself. She whirled around and shuddered as her stomach rolled at the sight of a dead man. Tears rose unbidden to her eyes as she realized those damned guards must have caught up to him. She suddenly heard something shift behind her, and she prayed it wasn't a rat come to feast on his flesh.

Turning slightly, she saw that his eyes were open. Oh thank _Maria_, he wasn't dead! She rushed over to him, fussing uselessly about what she should do. He passed in and out several times as she argued with herself.

_Oh come now, Colette, help him!_ One side of her screamed.

_Oh yeah, and what are you supposed to do about it? Take him to your home?_ Her less kind side snorted.

"That's exactly what you should do and you know it. What, are you just going to let him die here?" she said angrily to herself. Without thinking any further, she moved her hands under his thin shoulders, helping him stand, and his eyes fluttered open.

"It's alright, you're going to be fine," she said, more to herself than him. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're alight."

He wasn't very heavy, which made it a little easier to drag him towards her house. But he was dead weight, which made him seem _very_ heavy to small-framed Colette. She was finally able to get him through the door, just in time for Nanny to see.

"Who in the Lord's Good Name is _that_!" she shrieked. Colette grimaced. _Perfect timing_…she thought.

"This is Clopin, he's a gypsy, and he was attacked by Albain's guards. He'll be staying with us until he is well again," she said firmly, hoping Nanny would just let her alone. He was really starting to get heavy.

She couldn't leave well-enough alone. "Are you MAD! Bringing a stranger into the house? He could be dangerous, he could kill you and your child in your sleep. Did you even think about Amsie?"

"I am thinking about Amsie. I'm thinking about how if she were in a similar situation one day how I would pray to God that someone would do the same for her. Now shut up, and let me by. He's heavy!" she practically screamed at her maid.

Nanny reluctantly moved aside with a scowl, and Colette hurried to get Clopin to the bed.

"Oh that's rich, now where are _you_ going to sleep?" Nanny cackled from the doorway.

"In here, on the floor, in case he wakes up in the night. Please, do me a favor and lock Amsie's door tonight, just in case," she growled.

Nanny narrowed her eyes and stormed off without another word.

Sighing with relief, Colette turned back towards her patient, administering what little first aid she knew. She wrapped his broken hand as best as she could, hoping it would hold. She moistened a cloth and washed the dried blood from his face, which she could see better in the light.

He had high cheekbones, and heavy circles around his eyes, like he hadn't slept well in awhile. His cheeks were somewhat sunken in from lack of food, most likely. All in all, a pretty face, but she was not impressed by men anymore. Not since her husband died.

When she had finished applying brandy to his wounds, she sat back, exhausted by the emotionally draining day, hoping she could catch a few hours of sleep before he woke again. Her eyes dropped sleepily, and slumber was swift as she nodded off into very colorful dreams.

**Read and Review folks. I can't continue if no one tells me if they're willing to put up with me or not. :)**


	3. Dreadful Manners

**Hello everyone, and welcome to the third chapter. A review brought to my attention some things that should be addressed, simply for the sake of all of our sanity. First, ages. I did very extensive research on the book, movies, and even Discovery Channel's episode on Historic Movies (which included some info on HoND). According to sources, during the first movie, Clopin was 34. About 6 years passed until the second movie takes place, and so I've made Clopin 40 in this fic. Colette, as you will find out in the next few chapters, is 36. I wanted to make them older (instead of totally blowing off accuracy) because I think love is just as real at an older age, and just as passionate, despite some teens thinking all the glory is in the 20's. Second, Louisa is NOT the little girl who hugged Quasi in the first movie, because she would be far older and not a child any longer. Instead, I made her the daughter of the same girl, as her mother instilled her kindness in Louisa. Anyways, enough of my silly rambling. On with the story!**

The first thing Clopin noticed when he first opened his eyes was that, wherever he was, it smelled incredibly good. And second, that it was very warm. He felt like he was drifting on a cloud, and wondered if maybe that was exactly what he was doing. Could he, sinner of all sinners, actually be in Heaven?

He nearly smiled at the thought that some deity had shown him a bit of mercy, something that he hadn't truly experienced in his life on earth. He closed his eyes again, but was aware of a clicking sound that was irritating him. He finally opened his eyes again, unwillingly, and looked towards the sound.

It took all his restraint not to fly out of bed the moment he saw where the sound came from. A woman that seemed vaguely familiar was knitting away at what looked to be a baby's hat. She was wearing only a nightgown and her hair was messy and wild.

The only thing that came to his mind for a moment was, "Oh, hell no. I did NOT!" But a deluge of memories rushed into his mind, remembering his run-in with the guards and the voice of a woman. Putting two and two together, he realized this must be the woman he heard and she must have saved him. He wasn't dead.

Thank God.

She looked over and looked surprised to see him awake. "Oh, hello," she said softly, so as not to startle him, "How are you feeling?" He just stared at her, uncomprehending.

She looked at the ground awkwardly. "Yes, well, you must be wondering what's going on. My name is Colette, and yesterday you were attacked by Albain's guards and they hurt you pretty badly. You have multiple deep cuts on your head, probably a thousand bruises, and a broken hand. I found you in an alley and took you back to my house for medical treatment," she rambled as calmly as she could.

He looked down at his hand to see that it was in fact bandaged, albeit pretty messily. Clopin then raised his good hand to his head and winced as he felt the many tender spots on his face. He must look a sight.

He looked back at her, and they lapsed into a highly awkward silence. She was the first to break it.

"Um…can I get you anything to eat? You must be very hungry. You've been out for the better part of two days."

Wow, two days. He—even on his laziest days—had never slept that long before. Was the Court okay? Were they in trouble? He started to sit up, but then fell back with a groan. She fluttered over to his side and put her hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down onto the pillows.

"Please, don't move. You're not strong enough yet to get up," she said apologetically. "Now, I'll be right back with breakfast," she said as cheerfully as she could muster. As she started to walk down stairs, he tried to get up again. "Don't try to move!" she shouted up the stairs, and he froze in mid attempt. How had she known?

Lying back again, he wondered what the hell was going on. Oh sure, he knew what happened, he wasn't an idiot. But what he wanted to know was the why. _Why_ did she save him? _Why_ was she going to all this trouble? And _why on earth_ was she feeding him?

Food. The thought made his mouth water. He hadn't eaten for some time, even before all this had happened. Being a leader of the underworld meant sacrificing your own comfort for those of your subjects. She came back up the stairs, balancing a tray of delicious looking porridge, grapes, and goat's cheese with her. His raised a brow at the prospective at such a feast, and looked up suspiciously at her.

"Here's your food. I didn't know what you liked, so I got a variety," she said awkwardly. She put the tray on his lap, and after only a moment's hesitation, he began to quickly spoon the food into his mouth.

He suddenly realized he had yet to speak to her. He mentally kicked himself at his absolutely dreadful manners; a result of never having used manners in the first place.

"Thank you," he mumbled between mouthfuls. "I really appreciate all this."

She smiled, seemingly relieved that he had decided to talk. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure you would have done the same," she said happily.

_No, probably not_. He thought, but he didn't want to burst her bubble.

"So…I guess you'll have to stay here for awhile, since you can't move," she said quickly, obviously hoping he'd take it well.

He didn't .

Shaking his head back and forth so fast that a headache developed, Clopin said fervently, "I can't. Like I said, I really appreciate all the effort on my behalf, but I really can't stay. For your sake and mine, I really must go. As I'm sure you noticed, I am a gypsy, and if you're found with me we'll both likely get into trouble."

She'd obviously thought this through. "Things aren't as bad as when Frollo was in charge, and who would look here? I'm a widely respected seamstress and no one would ever think I would harbor a gypsy. Not after my husband was made an example of for doing the same thing," she said with a smirk, pleased with her logic.

Clopin was trying to remain civil, but a lifetime of not having to watch his tongue was getting in his way. "Madame, I don't know if you know, but I am—"

She cut him off, "Clopin, King of Beggars as well as the Court of Miracles. I know who you are, and I'm sure you have a lot of people depending on you. But think of them and how useless you'll be to them with you injured like this."

His eyes flashed black fire at the insult. "I will not be _useless_. I'll have you know I'm highly capable of looking after myself and need no help from a woman," he sneered in anger.

She suddenly got a haughty smirk on her face. "Very well, then you may leave if you can get up on your own."

He blinked, suddenly aware of all the aches and pains in his body. He scowled, but was up to the challenge. He threw one leg over the side of the bed, then the other, gritting his teeth in pure agony and wrenched himself off the bed to stand.

And promptly fell over.

He gritted his teeth at the peals of laughter emanating from the woman standing above him. For all his tom foolery and making fun of _other _people, if there was one thing in this world Clopin hated most, it was being laughed _at_.

He struggled to his knees, but was far too exhausted and in too much pain to get anywhere else. Her laughter subsided and she looked at him with chagrin.

"I'm really sorry, forgive my laughing at you. I'm actually quite impressed that you made it out of bed at all. Please, forgive my cruelty," she said as she helped him back onto the bed.

What an odd request. No one had ever asked him for forgiveness. Quite the contrary, most people blamed him and his kind for their troubles.

"Apology accepted," he muttered, not wanting to bite the hand that was handing out free food, and crawling with some difficulty back under the covers.

She smiled hesitantly at him, then took the tray. "I'll be back in a bit to make sure you're alright. Your bandages will need to be renewed in about an hour. See you then," she informed him, then hurriedly descended the stairs.

Clopin's head flopped back onto a comfy pillow. _Well, damn it all, I'm stuck here_. He realized. But, despite his discomfort with the situation, he couldn't deny that he was just fine with free room and meals. But as many people said, gypsies don't do well in closed walls.

He was staring to drift back to sleep, tired from arguing when he was already so weak. He was just dozing off when he heard footsteps coming back up the stairs. He opened one eye to see Colette coming back into the room.

"Hello. Don't bother waking up, I'm just going to re-bandage your wounds," she said kindly. But, he was on full alert now. If she was going to be in close proximity, he sure wasn't going to let his guard down.

He eyed her as she soaked a towel in brandy and lifted the bandages from his forehead. She began to gently press the cloth to his face. He winced at the sting of the alcohol, but eventually settled down from his frenzied mindset of 'I sure hope she doesn't just decide to kill me herself'. He never said anything about trusting anyone, so no one could blame him for being cautious.

He watched her face and its expressions as she cared for him. He had to admit, she was pretty, in a different way than most of the girls in his Court. She had honey brown eyes with little flecks of amber in them. Her hair was thick, red-brown and he wondered idly what it felt like. Was it coarse or soft? But he found he didn't really feel like offending her now by asking.

He suddenly realized where he knew her from. She was the woman who had come to his puppet show with a baby the day before. He felt a little better, now that he could place who she was.

When she was done replacing the bandages, she smiled, bid him a good rest, and left the room again.

Finally able to relax, he nodded off into a heavy, dreamless peace.

**Read and review, lovelies! I need feedback, criticism, and ideas if I am to continue to bring this story for your pleasure.**


	4. Precious Child

**Hello! After all your lovely reviews I couldn't stop writing, and wrote until about 1am last night. I've written a few chapters now, so I will be posting faster for awhile. Now, I'd like to address a question brought to my attention. The question was: How can Amsie be only around two when the husband died six years ago. The answer: He did not die six years ago, it was towards the very end of Frollo's reign, which lasted beyond his (Frollo's) death, according to author notes in a library that I picked up. I know it's very confusing, but bear with me, as I tried to make it as accurate as possible. Now, here is the next chapter for your entertainment!**

Colette had woken up fairly soon after she fell asleep, too nervous to sleep for more than a couple hours. She tried to knit, but her eyes kept flashing over to the man in her bed. _Well, doesn't that just sound innocent_ she snorted to herself.

All night, all day she stayed in the room, taking her food there much to Nanny's annoyance. She knew this was a risk, but why was Nanny for fervent in her protests? She hoped she wouldn't find out the hard way.

When she realized he was finally awake, she felt the tension inside her finally release. At least now she could face whatever was in front of her. "Oh hello," she'd said carefully, hoping that she wasn't too loud in her relief. She asked him how he was feeling, and he simply stared at her like she was some kind of idiot. Feeling rather awkward, she smoothed her dress and introduced herself. "My name is Colette and you were attacked yesterday by Albain's guards," she informed him as quickly as she could.

When she was finished, she hoped he would say something, but instead he went about checking his injuries with his good hand.

Completely awkward silence followed.

Colette finally decided she needed to get out of here. "Um…can I get you anything to eat?" she asked. Without really waiting for an answer, she turned to go, but he suddenly tried to get up. He groaned in pain, and she hurried over to push him back down. What on earth did he think he was doing? He must have been desperate to get away because she had to shout, "Don't try to move" when he tried again as she descended the stairs.

When she got to the bottom, she had to brace herself against the banister for a moment. _Oh God, what have I gotten myself into? _She wondered before she shook herself, regained countenance, and made her way to the kitchen.

She wasn't rich, but she had enough to hire some help. There was one other person besides Nanny, a little whisp of a man named Frederick who was stable hand and cook all in one tiny, unimposing figure. But he was far from docile. He had a wicked tongue and beady eyes and he would come to his master's defense in a heartbeat. Colette enjoyed his company and was glad her husband had found him to hire several years ago. He was also very, very wise.

"Good morning, Mademoiselle. I take it you slept well?" he asked, eyeing her sleep deprived eyes with shrewd speculation.

"Not really, Frederick. I was up the better part of the night hoping he would wake up. I was starting to think he'd died right there in my bed," she sighed.

"Died and went to Heaven maybe," he grinned his toothy grin, and she glared at him.

"I'll not have you speaking about my integrity like that, Frederick. He was injured, and I'm taking care of him. End of story," she snapped. She didn't mean to be short with him, but _really_. The very idea.

He smiled at her, and said, "Well, I think it's very kind of you to take him in. Poor fellow probably would have been dead in a few hours had you not showed up."

She shivered at the thought. "Perhaps, but I'm honestly not sure what to do now. He won't talk to me, and he's tried to escape twice now. I think maybe I should just let him go and hope he knows what he's doing."

Frederick almost looked mad. "Here now, didn't your husband teach you better hospitality? He died giving his very essence and home to people in need, and you have one person here, who needs your help and you're going to abandon your mission?" he croaked, feathers ruffled.

She sighed again. "I know, Freddy. I just don't see how this is all going to turn out well," she whispered.

He softened at her dejected look. "Our Lord works in mysterious ways, Colette. Just let whatever happens happen and God will make it work," he nodded to the tray of food, and smiled before saying, "Well, I have to get out to the market. Don't do anything you wouldn't want me to hear about," he grinned again and dodged the pan she threw at him, laughing as he left.

Grumbling to herself, she lifted the tray and brought it to Clopin. He looked surprised at how much food she had set out for him, but he ate it, obviously not having eaten in some time.

"Thank you."

She looked up from her boots, completely shocked. Had he just spoken?

"I really appreciate all this," he spoke again, shoveling the food into his mouth.

Relief seeped warmly through her. He was talking to her; that was a start. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure you would have done the same," she said happily. She at least hoped this was the truth, but his blank look told her: probably not.

She really wanted to leave it at that, but she had to say it. "So… I guess you'll have to stay here for awhile, since you can't move," she blurted out. She prayed he wouldn't fuss, but her hope was misplaced.

He shook his head rapidly. "I can't. Like I said, I really appreciate all the effort on my behalf, but I really can't stay. For your sake and mine, I really must go. As I'm sure you noticed, I am a gypsy, and if you're found with me you'll likely get hurt," he was very adamant.

She was one step ahead of him, explaining that no one would look here, due to her husband's past. He was not pleased.

She could tell he was trying not to snap at her, but by the desperate glint in his eye, he was not willing to stay here.

When he tried to speak again, she cut him off brusquely and told him that he'd be useless to his people if he was injured. This made him even angrier.

"I will not be _useless_," he insisted, but when she dared him to stand, he fell over. She laughed so hard she thought she was going to choke. He struggled, but in vain. He couldn't move, and hurt and frustration flashed in his coal eyes. She suddenly felt bad for laughing at him.

"I'm really sorry, forgive my laughing at you. I'm actually quite impressed that you made it out of bed at all. Please, forgive my cruelty," she said, helping the fuming man climb back into the bed.

He accepted graciously, and she felt a little better. She figured it best to leave it at that before she made him any angrier, and she told him she'd be back in an hour.

When she came back up to check on him, he was dozing lazily. But when she told him she'd be changing his bandages, he was immediately awake. He watched her as she carefully removed each bandage from his head. His scrutiny was making her self-conscious, so she cleared her throat and finished quickly.

After he had nodded off, she went to Amsie's room to see her darling girl.

Amsie was still fast asleep in her bassinette, tiny hands in her mouth, drool spilling down her chin. Colette smiled at her precious joy, rocking the cradle slowly, hoping she would sleep awhile longer, so she wouldn't have to bring her baby into contact with Clopin. Though she was fairly sure of his stability, she had also heard that gypsies steal babies. She didn't usually entertain gossip, but she wasn't taking any chances.

But, as she thought, Amsie woke with a yawn and all Colette's hopes were dashed. Nanny had so graciously watched her daughter last night, so it wouldn't be fair to ask again. Having no real choice but to hope for the best, she picked her love up in her arms and carried her back to the room where Clopin was sleeping soundly.

She went back to knitting, with Amsie on her lap, but the clicking obviously irritated the Gypsy King, because he squeezed his eyes and tried to turn over, but ended up hitting a cut, and woke with a shout of pain.

"Damn it ALL!" he yelped, holding his palm to his cut.

She stood, going over to make sure he hadn't done any real damage or re-opened a wound. He suddenly was aware of her presence, and he apologized under his breath for his outburst of crude language.

She snickered, because she swore all the time. Amsie gurgled happily and Clopin's face took on a joyful expression.

"Oh, is this little one yours?" he asked, reaching out a finger which the child promptly latched onto with her tiny hands.

Colette was watching him studiously, for any intentions to harm her child, but she just found purile happiness in his face. _He must really have a heart for children_, she thought, smiling despite herself.

"May I hold her?" he asked, eyes sparkling with mirth.

She debated for several moments, before relinquishing her hold on Amsie into his waiting arms. He took her expertly in his experienced embrace, grinning like a fool.

She laughed at his expression, but he was too busy looking down into what she knew was the cutest baby face he'd seen in some time.

"Thank you," he said as he put her back into Colette's arms. She could tell he meant more than just for letting him hold her. For trusting him enough with such an honor. She thought about that. Why did she trust him with the most prized person in her life? She supposed it was because he couldn't exactly steal her when he was too weak to get up.

"You're welcome, Clopin. I'm glad you like her," she replied.

He shrugged. "I like most children. It's my job." But under his depreciating exterior, she could see that he was still happy.

She sat back down in the chair to knit, and they went into a much more comfortable silence.

**Read and Review, friends! I know this is an obscure section of fanfiction, so reviews will not come often. But for those of you who are reading and don't review, it takes all of two seconds to let me know if I'm doing okay. Just try, if you can find time. And for those of you who are reviewing...I LOVE YOU!**


	5. Mocked and Betrayed

**Hello again. As I said, I wrote a few chapters, so the next one will come quickyl as well. This chapter gets a little darker, as we see some of Clopin's harsher side, though it's mostly a feigned response. I hope you all enjoy it, it took me forever to write.**

On the third day of his stay, Clopin finally felt like he could possibly walk again. Colette had tried to convince him otherwise, but he'd been persistent, so she let him try.

He'd managed to get his legs over the side of the bed without much trouble, the pain considerably less than it had been the first time. He heaved himself to a standing position, and swayed on his feet while Colette stood close by, arms out in case he fell. He managed to keep upright, and he took a shaky few steps forward.

Grinning when he found he could walk, he straightened up and continued around the room, over to Amsie, who was sitting on the floor playing with his hat, and scooped her up.

"There's the pretty girl," he cooed, very pleased with how quickly he had recovered. He hated feeling weak, especially in front of women, but she had been very insistent that he stay until he was better. "How's little bean today?"

Amsie giggled at his goofy expression and put her hands on his face, fascinated with his goatee. He walked back over to Colette, who was looking very happy about his progress. He didn't want to waste any more time. Who knew how the Court was faring?

"Well, I suppose I'm well enough to leave, so…" he trailed off when he saw her face fall. He supposed she had gotten used to him; after all, she had no one to really talk to since her husband had died. She'd told him the story late one night as she cleaned his wounds again. It was quite a heart-wrenching story. Her father had given her in a marriage to a man named David, who had been killed at the end of Frollo's reign, long after Frollo himself had been killed. Amsie had been born only a short while later, never having seen her father.

"Oh, yes, well, I suppose you are. We'll just eat breakfast and you can be on your way, I guess," she replied calmly.

They went downstairs, and Clopin was intrigued to see the rest of her house. She took him past the drawing room, with was modestly furnished, with a large trunk at one end, several chairs, and a giant bureau at the other. They got to the dining room, which had a small table, suitable for only a few people, with a cupboard for dishes and the like.

He admired the craftsmanship on the table, and told her it was beautiful. She seemed surprised, saying, "My father made that for a wedding present. He was a carpenter, but no one has ever even noticed this table as his work."

They ate a delicious meal of fruit (Clopin was still trying to grasp the concept of a free meal) and bread with cheese. When they had finished, it was apparent that Clopin was eager to go back home. But, truth be told, he was rather sad to leave his newfound friends.

"I do hope you'll come back and visit sometimes. We have plenty of food, so if you're ever in need of a hot meal, you know where to find us," Colette said awkwardly. Goodbyes were never his forte, but he didn't want to leave without a proper farewell.

He leaned in to embrace her, thanking her for everything. She stiffened for a moment, before relaxing and retuning the hug.

She walked him out to the door, and he breathed in the fresh scent of morning with newfound appreciation. He started to walk forward, but then looked behind him to see Colette waving Amsie's hand at him, her little baby face a mix of sadness and confusion.

Before he could feel bad, he swiftly walked away and disappeared from their sight.

As he wandered through the streets, he felt much more alive than he had in awhile. Maybe it was being back where he belonged, maybe it was the cool morning air in his lungs, maybe it had nothing to do with him in particular. His legs were still a little shaky, and he stretched before he looked around suspiciously, and ducked into one of the many entrances to the Court of Miracles.

He was immediately assaulted by a group of people, so glad to see that he was alive and well, though his hand was still bandaged.

He smiled at his people, and laughed merrily as they dragged him over to Esmeralda's and Phoebus's tent to proclaim the good news.

Esmeralda came out of the tent, throwing herself at her cousin, eyes leaking a few tears. "You fool! You've had all of us worried sick! Where were you?" she sniffled, wiping the tears from her face and embraced him again.

"If you can get everyone to gather around, I'll tell you my fantastical tale of heroism and bravery," he said sarcastically. "Honestly, I don't want anyone to hear_ this_ story, but I supposed it can't be helped. People will get crabby unless I tell them. Gather everyone up so I can get this over with in one go."

Esmeralda went quickly to round everyone up so they could see for themselves that their leader was back.

As they gathered to hear his tale, he had to put forth considerable effort not to wring his hands together. He was not usually a nervous person, but what if they thought he was no longer suitable to lead them?

As he began to tell his story, there were cheers of delight as he told them of his brave move against the guards. They winced as he described the feeling of thinking you were about to die. But when he got to the part about Colette, they fell silent. Clopin didn't know what to make of this.

"So, we now have friends on the outside, who are willing to help and protect our kind. If you ever need help, Colette will be there for you," he concluded, making her seem more like a Saint rather than an ordinary human.

Crickets could be heard for a moment, but then voices were raised in joy. They all seemed to like the fact that someone outside understood them better than most. But their joy was short lived. Just as it went quiet, a messenger ran in shouting.

"Help, we need help! They just made a new decree!" the boy yelped, obviously afraid.

"Whoa, slow down, lad," an older gypsy said. "Who made what decree?"

"I-it's Prince Albain. He just decreed that the Palace of J-Justice is re-operating. Any gypsy found soliciting help or money will be subjected to the law once again. They're going to kill us all!" he screeched.

Clopin gripped his shoulders and shook the miserable boy harshly. "No one is going to die. Haven't we dealt with this kind of thing before? We beat them once, and we will do it again," he said with conviction. This time around, no one would touch his precious clan.

"Perhaps we should seek sanctuary at Notre-Dame. At least they can't touch us there," one woman spoke up.

"No, we should fight back, as we did with Frollo's men," shouted another.

Angry voices went up, all arguing over what should be done. Clopin got frustrated quickly.

"No one is going to do anything for now. We're going to lay low and see just how serious this really is. It may all be hot air, after the incident several days ago. For now, no one but Esmeralda, Phoebus, and I are allowed to leave the Court of Miracles. It will be safer that way," he said decisively. No one dared to challenge him.

After everyone had dispersed, all whispering worriedly amongst themselves, Clopin decided to do some investigating.

He went through the streets of the city, looking for any sign of trouble. He found it pretty quickly.

A group of guards were talking amongst themselves, so Clopin hid himself behind a cart to listen.

"…and he said if anyone can bring him to the Court of Miracles, he'll give them half of the city and one thousand gold pieces. He sounds pretty desperate if you ask me," one said.

"Well, get this; he's also offered a reward for their leader. One hundred silver pieces if dead, five hundred if alive," crowed another.

_Ha, you'll have to catch me first._ He thought spitefully.

They went on to talk about the Prince, but Clopin was not interested to hear them any longer. He was furious. Why was it always the same? Oppression, rebellion, and short-lived peace, in an endless cycle.

He hated it.

What he didn't notice as he left was someone was following him. He was usually pretty good about watching out for followers, but today his mind was full. He decided to take the further route back to the Court, through the graveyard Quasi and Phoebus had traveled by so many years ago.

He crept down the stairwell quietly, his footsteps the only sound. He made it back to the Court just in time to be caught by some of his clan.

"Clopin! Thank goodness! Just as you came back, someone entered from the graveyard entrance. They seemed to have followed one of our own," the skeleton clothed man said.

Eyes widening fractionally, he realized someone must have followed him here. Well, the trespassers would wish they had never set foot after him, reward money or not.

He descended back down into the catacombs with the fury of a wraith. Couldn't these people just leave them alone?

As he approached the hostage, he thought, though the light was dim, he could see her wild hair, and he wondered why he thought he recognized her. He got as close as possible and smirked at her. "Well, you're very clever to have found our hideaway. Unfortunately, you won't live to tell the tale." Her dark eyes widened and she struggled, shouting something behind the gag.

"What's that? I can't hear you," he giggled, ripping the cloth from her face. Before he could continue, a voice rang out that made his blood run cold.

"Clopin, Clopin, please, it's me! Please, don't hurt me, I didn't know I was doing anything wrong!" Colette sobbed, tears running down her face. His heart clenched with horror as he realized she must have seen him in the square and followed him, thrilled to see him so soon after he left.

_Damn it! What the hell am I supposed to do?_ His mind reeled. On the one hand, he couldn't very well let her go. After terrorizing her like this she would definitely tell everyone where the Court was. But, there was no escape from her fate now that she was here. Unless…

An idea came to him then, and he thought it might be the only way. Not thinking things through, he quickly recomposed his face to a sly grin.

"I have no idea who you are, young lady, and it seems to me that we are wasting time. Come along now. He put the gag back over her mouth and led her along with the other skeleton clad gypsies.

As he got back, he steeled himself for what he was about to do. It was a highly risky move but it just might save her. And he owed her that much, considering she had saved him.

"Good day everyone! Quit _hanging _around, I have some excellent _noose _today! We have a young lady here who has found our beloved home. What do you think of that?" he called out to the public who were milling around.

The people immediately gathered and booed Colette, who had gotten over the shock and tears and was now glaring fearsomely at Clopin.

"Now, you all know we have a little saying around here: 'Marriage will save you from the coroner's carriage' and you all know what that means. If you don't want to see this girl hang, make an offer and she can stay. Anyone?" The crowd scoffed at the idea, no one had accepted that offer in years.

"Going once? Going twice?" Clopin said, waiting for the right moment. His hand gripped the hangman's lever, and Colette squeezed her eyes shut. But he suddenly appeared as if in thought. The crowd waited anxiously. What was going on?

"You know, I just had a most brilliant idea!" he proclaimed to the crowd. "As you know, I am King of the Court of Miracles." The mob leaned in excitedly. 'And a King needs…heirs." The crowd quickly caught on, and several wolf whistles and catcalls went up. He grinned wickedly.

"So I suppose this unfortunate woman is just as good as anyone else, correct? Hmm…oh why not, I suppose she can be my wife, yes?" The crowds cheered, pleased at both his _finally _choosing a wife and his subsequent mockery of the trespasser.

He cut the rope off her neck and her hands, and removed the gag from her mouth. She glared at him with fresh tears of betrayal in her eyes, and his stomach dropped as he realized she would probably never forgive him.

Still playing the part, he lifted her hand in the air and the crowds cheered again. He winked at them as he dragged Colette off the stage and walked so fast that she almost had to run to keep up.

He didn't look behind him until they got to his tent, and after ushering her inside, he shut the tent flap and pinned it shut. He stood facing away from her until he was sure he could talk properly.

As he turned around, he realized she had sunk to her knees and was sobbing silently. He knelt in front of her and tried to raise her face to look at him.

When her head came up, so did her fist. She decked him on the jaw and he fell back with a thud. She leapt to her feet, eyes searching wildly for something to beat him with. She went one better; she grabbed a knife off the table and stalked towards him, brown eyes turning almost black in her fury.

He backed up slowly, and she shrieked at him. "What the hell? Do you think this is _funny_! How –what—" she was sputtering In her anger, and if Clopin was being honest, he feared for his life.

"How could you betray me like that! I thought we were friends! I thought I could trust you! Yet you would leave my baby girl all alone without a mother? You monster!" she screamed at him, raising the dagger high, as if to plunge it into him. He raised his hands to protect himself. "I'm sorry!" he yelped, thinking the woman who saved him would surely kill him now.

The pain did not come. He ventured a look up, and her face was a mix of surprise, anger, and disgust. "You're SORRY? Ohhh, that's rich! You make me believe I could trust you, then you mock me, threaten to kill me, then mock me some more by saying I have to _marry_ you! Ha!" she snorted, her fire seeming to dim before his eyes.

To his misery, she sank back down and began to weep again. He went over to try and comfort her again, and this time she only shuddered when he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I _am_ sorry. Sorry I had to deceive you like that. Sorry I had no choice but to play my part. Sorry you were scared. Sorry I doomed you to this life. I'm so terribly sorry," he whispered, feeling remorse that he hadn't felt in a long time. Another guttural sob came from her chest and she shoved him away.

When he could speak again, he said quietly, "I suppose I should leave you alone for awhile. I'll be back before sunset, and we can talk again."

"I have nothing to say to you," she replied, her head still in her hands.

With a sad nod, he walked out of the tent, breaking into a dead run, just to get away.

To get away from his own mistakes.

**Read and Review! I wasn't sure how people would react to this chapter, so let me know. :)**


	6. Start Again

**Hello everyone! Another update coming your way. I change POVS in the middle of the chapter, so don't get thrown off by it. I'm introducing another OC (this will be a common occurence as there are tons of Gypsies hanging around). Speaking of which, I relaized I forgot tov do a disclaimer. Here it is...**

**I don't own Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Disney, or anything related, other than my OCs. Please don't sue me for failing to mention this sooner. XD**

_When he could speak again, he said quietly, "I suppose I should leave you alone for awhile. I'll be back before sunset, and we can talk again."_

"_I have nothing to say to you," she replied, her head still in her hands._

_With a sad nod, he walked out of the tent, breaking into a dead run, just to get away._

_To get away from his own mistakes._

She lay there, crying until she could cry no more. She finally lifted her head from the colorful pillows she had flopped onto. They were soaked, and she hoped they'd stay that way, even if to provide a little discomfort for the monster she had thought was a good man.

She looked through red-rimmed eyes around the tent. It seemed to match Clopin's caravan, with bright ornaments and tapestries hanging everywhere. Unlike before, she now hated the cheery colors with a passion. She hated _him_ with a passion.

He had tricked her. He had betrayed her. And now he was taking it all back with an apology that made her want to believe him. And she hated him for it.

The thought sent her into another crying fit, which only lasted a short while until her eyes ran dry again. She decided she would be brave. She's try to escape or get caught trying.

She poked her head out of the tent, and screamed when she saw a massive woman standing in front of her. Shrieking loudly, she fell back into the tent, and the woman came in. She was obviously advanced in her years, her hands grizzled but with a kind face.

"Hello dearie, I am La Juliette. And you are..?" she said in a robust voice. Colette stared at her, wondering if she was mad and deciding not to answer.

"Well, no matter. I already know your name. You're Colette am I right?" Colette's eyes went wide. How had she known?

"I am a fortune teller my dear. I make it my business to know everyone's name," La Juliette said matter-of-factly. "Now, am correct to say you are the kind woman who saved Clopin, our King?"

"Yes, and I fervently wish I hadn't!" Colette muttered disrespectfully. This did not deter the imposing woman.

"First, let me thank you for that. You did us all a kindness by taking him in. And may I just say, he has a good taste in women to choose one such as you for his bride." Colette winced visibly.

"That—that's just to make a fool of me right? He's not _really_ going to marry me?" she asked hopefully.

La Juliette laughed. "No, I'm afraid our customs are quite serious. Not even the King can escape the law."

A wail rose up from Colette's throat. "No! No, I'd rather die than be married to that wretch!" she sobbed. She drew her knees up and tried to calm down.

The massive woman sat down next to Colette and put a comforting arm around her. "Dearie, I don't think you mean that and I think you'll find that Clopin is very sorry for all this trouble. I also know that you'll find, if you give each other a chance, you could come to love him, and he you. It may not seem like it, but Clopin made a great sacrifice today, saving you. He is very serious about our traditions, and intends to tie himself to you. That means a great deal of his personal freedoms will be lost, and he is a free spirit, that man. I think you should count yourself lucky to have a man as dedicated as Clopin," she told Colette.

"Lucky!" Colette scoffed. "But, what makes you think I could ever love him?" she asked angrily.

La Juliette looked her dead in the eye and said in a gravely voice, "Because I have seen it. It is in your destiny."

With that, she stood, and hobbled her way over to the opening of the tent, leaving a speechless Colette still on the ground. "I'll leave you alone to think. Just remember, wicked tongues get everyone into trouble. Try to be civil to each other."

She disappeared and Colette was left to her own thoughts.

"_She's wrong. I'll never love him. I loved one person, and you can't find love twice._ She thought spitefully.

But, somewhere in the back of her mind, she hoped with the barest of hopes, that La Juliette was right.

The sun was setting behind the horizon, and shadows were descending on the city. Clopin wandered back to the Court absentmindedly. On his way out, a foot had stuck out and tripped him. Scowling, he righted himself and looked to see the perpetrator. It was La Juliette, his most trusted advisor and fortune teller. While most people here passed off as mystical fortune tellers, La Juliette was a true name of her trade

"Oh, sorry Clopin. I didn't realize it was you," she said with a grin that told him otherwise.

Sighing, he knew she wanted to talk to him. "What is it?" he asked brusquely.

"I just wanted to ask permission to see Colette after you leave. She seems to need some comforting," she replied knowingly.

Clopin's eyes were like saucers. "How the devil did you know it was Colette?" What a stupid question. This woman knew everything.

"Oh, I asked the spirits about her. You know, the usual," she said casually. "Anyways I just thought I might offer you a word of advice before you go."

He waited warily, and when he made no protest, she continued, "You know better than anyone my powers. And you know that what I say usually comes to pass. Your future can very well be a happy one indeed—if you put a lot of effort into it. I would cool off, then go back to your tent and talk to your bride-to-be." He winced. "So my advice to you is…don't botch it this time."

She chuckled at his bewildered look and walked off still chuckling.

In a daze, he had left the Court and went to a secluded section of town that he liked to think in. He thought about what La Juliette said, wondering what she had seen in her visions.

She had said his future could be happy if he was willing to work. What did that mean? Would Colette forgive him and they could be friends once again? Or was it going to be as more than friends?

The thought made him shiver. More than friends? He had never really loved anyone. Never commited himself to any one person. And how could he? He had dedicated himself to an entire people. He didn't have time for any one individual.

But now he would have to.

He knew it would be hard, but wouldn't it be worth it, even if they didn't fall in love, to regain her trust and friendship. Even if they couldn't be friends, he still owed her his life, and therefore would do anything he could to ease that debt.

As the sun got lower in the sky and the bells rang, he remembered his promise to Colette that he'd be back to talk by sunset. He prayed to whoever was in charge of this situation that she would have calmed down enough to talk without trying to kill him again.

He tried to exude confidence as he walked back to his private quarters, but he didn't even fool himself. He peeked meekly into his tent, somewhat relieved to find Colette asleep on his bed, exhausted from the day's emotional encounters.

He sat down by her to wait out the sleep, vowing that he would not sleep until they had talked. He stared at her for a long time before she stirred.

Her eyes blinked sleepily, until she caught sight of him staring at her; she sat straight up.

They watched each other, each wondering who would break the tense silence.

It was Clopin this time.

"Colette, I know you don't want to listen, and I know it sounds awful coming from me, but please let me apologize once again for my deplorable behavior. I am more sorry than you can understand. I didn't want this for you, but I'm afraid I had no choice. I'm not trying to defend myself, but please know that I could do nothing else to save you. And after what you did for me, well, I couldn't just let you die," he said sincerely, and his eyes shone with sympathy for her plight.

She seemed to mull this over for a long time. Clopin counted to two hundred in his head before she spoke.

"I…don't know if I can accept your apology. You have to understand, I don't _want_ to accept your apology." He nodded solemnly, and she continued, "But, I'm afraid I may have to. I can tell you're being truthful, and I suppose this is…better…than hanging from the gallows."

"Why did you follow me?" he asked suddenly.

She sighed, and replied, "I don't know. I guess because I was happy to see a familiar face. For all the people I have in acquaintance, I don't have many friends. I keep to myself most of the time."

He understood the feeling. Out of the entire Court, he had only Esmeralda and Phoebus as friends, and an uneasy friendship with Quasimodo. That pretty much summed up his social life, though he had thousands of aquaintences.

"So, I guess I was hoping to see you again so we could still be friends," she concluded.

He nodded again, sighing at all the trouble he had caused her.

'I'm sorry," he mumbled. She hesitated a few moments, and then took his hand in hers. His head snapped up, looking at her small smile with surprise.

"But I suppose I will forgive you, for now, and we can get back on track. Shall we start again?" she asked hopefully.

After a hesitation of shock, he replied, "Yes, yes I believe we can."

**Read and Review! I am absolutely loving all the reviews you wonderful readers grace me with each chapter. Keep it up!**


	7. New Life

Colette awoke in a grumpy mood on her wedding day. She had always hoped, if she ever got married again, it would be the final stage of healing for her: the happiest day of her life.

Sighing dejectedly, she rolled back onto her stomach, not wanting to go face a crowd of people.

La Juliette burst into the tent with several other women in tow, and practically dragged the unfortunate girl to her feet. "Come on, come on! Your wedding is today, and you're not even partially ready! You don't want to get married in your chemise do you?" she squawked directly in her ear.

"I don't care…" Colette mumbled, glaring at the floor. The fortune teller let out a huff, picking up Amsie from her crib.

"Well, I won't have you looking like a ragamuffin for the King. Linnie! Dejanna! Could you please?" she said motioning to the two girls who were about Colette's age. They stepped forward obediently, one scowling, the other with a huge grin on her face.

"Nice to meet you, Colette is it?" the darker girl said, her green eyes flashing with what looked like friendship.

"Yes, and you are?" Colette asked warily.

"I'm Linnie. I'm the wife of Jethro, the local glass-blower," she said with a curtsy. Colette smiled at the obviously excitable girl.

"It's very nice to meet you. Are you helping me prepare for the…festivities?" she asked with a little more sparkle in her eye.

"Oh yes, we're going to make you the most beautiful girl Clopin has ever laid eyes on. Not that you aren't pretty now," she added hurriedly.

La Juliette had enough of the chatter. "Hurry now. It's nearly afternoon and she isn't ready. We're behind schedule."

With a sigh, Colette was pushed into a chair in front of a mirror and the woman who hadn't spoken and was still frowning began to tend to her hair. She finally spoke, "How do you want it?"

He tone was ice cold. Colette winced and said, "I don't care. I'm sure no matter what you do, you will make it beautiful." She was trying to break the tension, but the woman just nodded and started to heft her hair, twisting it.

"Your hair is too thick to do much with," she said frostily.

"Oh, don't mind Dejanna. She's just jealous," Linnie said with a giggle. Dejanna gave her a fierce glare.

"Jealous?" asked Colette warily, just as Dejanna snapped at Linnie, "Mind your own business, Linnie!"

With another giggle, Linnie continued. "Oh very jealous. Dejanna was Clopin's first lover. And she always bears a grudge against anyone who even looks at her ex-Clopie," she laughed and shook her head, just as Dejanna raised her fist to punch Linnie.

La Juliette interceded. "Girls! Today is not the day for bickering. Linnie, stop telling things to people that aren't yours to tell! And Dejanna, for Maria's sake, get over him!" Amsie looked between the women with fascination.

Colette was staring horrified at the three women, her eyes darting between them. "So…he's had other lovers?" She didn't really know why this upset her.

Dejanna tore her gaze from Linnie and said spitefully, "Of course he has! You think a man that handsome can't get girls just by snapping his fingers? And to think, he picked you! A trespasser, likely a spy, and not even of gypsy blood! He is a reserved man though, so you needn't worry. He's only had four before _you_." She practically spit on the ground and stalked out of the tent.

"Four!" Colette shrieked. "He's slept with four women?" Now she was really upset. She had always thought making love was supposed to be a sacred thing, to be done only with those you truly loved. True she was no longer a virgin either, but she had lost it to her husband, not some floozy that hung around the tavern.

"Well yes, but that was when he was younger. No more than a teenager really. He was a wild child, but he's grown up a lot since then. He hasn't been with anyone since Frollo was overthrown," La Juliette said understandingly.

Colette couldn't deny that she didn't want to marry him more than ever now. But it was far too late for that.

_Promise you won't do anything you regret._ Frederick's voice rang in her mind. She had promised, but she was very much regretting this right now.

She didn't have much time to dwell on the new information. La Juliette did her hair and Linnie made the final alterations to the dress, which she could tell had been passed down for generations. But it still retained its beauty and elegance and she knew it was the finest dress she would ever wear.

Before she could get a grasp on her spinning head, she realized she only had an hour left of freedom. Only an hour as Colette Delaire.

She would soon become Colette Trouillefou. The thought made her shiver.

The women left the tent saying they would be back to get her when it was time. She threw herself on the bed, still mindful not to mess up the dress or her hair. She cried for only a little while, before deciding that she was being silly.

Wiping the tears from her face, she went to Amsie who was back in the cradle and held her close.

"You're going to have a new Papa, Amsie, my love. He's a King, and he will be the best Papa you've ever had," she promised in a whisper. She would make sure that was true. Even if Clopin didn't make a good husband he would damn well be a good father, or Colette swore she would castrate him so he would never have more than those four lovers.

A wretched thought suddenly came to her mind. _Not four…five._ In all her sadness and anger she had not remembered the wedding _night_ tradition.

Consummate the marriage.

That sent her into a near frenzy, the only keeping her from completely losing it: her daughter.

"No!" she growled into the quiet of the tent. "I will not!"

Amsie made an intelligent face like she knew what was going on, and she reached out her tiny hands to touch her mother's face with a child's adoration.

The hour passed by far too quickly and Linnie arrived to take Amsie while La Juliette ushered her out of the tent and down to the area where she would wait for the music to start, signaling her to walk down the makeshift aisle.

Her palms started to sweat, and she trembled as the music began, a slow steady song, beginning to swell; her cue to start.

La Juliette had to push her out and she began to walk in a way that reminded her of her lost husband as he walked to the Palace of Justice. But then, she saw him.

Clopin waited for her at the other end of the aisle by the gypsy minister, a solemn look on his face. But when he saw her approaching, his face lit up in joy.

His exuberant smile caught her off guard; she thought he had been as unhappy as her at this arrangement, but there was great pride and admiration in his face as he looked at her.

For some reason she couldn't place, she began to walk faster.

When she got to him, he took her hand affectionately in his and they both stared at each other, trying to read the other's mind.

He turned to face the minister and she did the same, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

Clopin nodded to the man, who began.

"My dearest friends, we are here today to celebrate the marriage between Clopin and Colette. As you may know, God sent Colette to save our King, and Clopin has saved Colette in return. God Himself has brought them together again in a holy bond that shall never be severed."

They both turned to face each other, searching each other's eyes for their emotions.

"Do you, Colette Delaire, take Clopin Trouillefou to be your husband? To respect and love him in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" the minister asked.

She took one last deep breath, and with the words, "I do", sealed her fate away.


	8. Witty Banter

**Sorry about the late update. I lost my internet connection last night. Lots of fluff in this chapter. I figured we could all use a break from the angst. Enjoy!**

They walked in silence. Colette was obviously trying to fend off tears and she leaned down to kiss her daughter often. Clopin felt wretched at the sight of it.

He wondered how everything in his life had gone Topsy-Turvy. One minute he was on top of everything and the next…he was going to get married.

He suppressed the urge to curse Madellaine for her snide comments about women yesterday. Maybe she had jinxed him or something.

Still, he couldn't say he was lying yesterday when he said Colette would do just as well as anyone else. They seemed to have a mutual respect in each other, though she was obviously still angry at him. Maybe La Juliette would be right and they could have a happy future together. He suppressed the urge to laugh.

_Yeah right._

But, he knew that La Juliette was usually right, so at least he had some vestige of hope. He glanced back towards Colette who was looking at the dusty ground they were treading, and he knew he had to try and cheer her up.

"Your wedding dress is turning out nicely," he said. Big mistake.

Tears finally spilled over her cheeks and he knew he had said the wrong thing. Clopin may be a charmer, but—to most people's disbelief—he had only a handful of women in his life he'd ever been romantically involved with.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"I-I'm f-fine," she spluttered, trying to regain her composure. He leant her his handkerchief, which she accepted gratefully.

He was caught on whether or not he should hug her, but he didn't have to debate long as Colette took the initiative and leaned into him for support. She was desperate for comfort, no matter who it was coming from. Her tears subsided after a short while.

They made their way back to the Court and he led her to his tent once again, wondering if she would want to be left alone again. Cradling a dozing Amsie, she surprised him.

"Would…would you stay and keep me company, just until I feel better? Unless…you have things to do," she asked hesitantly.

"Of course, Colette. I would be more than happy to," he replied, feeling relieved she had truly forgiven him.

He could tell she wanted to ask him something, but she refrained from doing so. Instead, he asked her a question.

"Tell me, if you could wish for anything right now, what would it be?" he'd asked that question to many people, it was his favorite thing to know about them.

She looked up at him, startled, but lapsed into thought at his question. She thought for a long while.

"I suppose one of two things. That I wouldn't have to marry anyone (he could tell she was refraining from saying 'marry you') or that I could be sure of what my life is going to be like here," she replied thoughtfully.

He wondered why she was trying to spare his feelings. As she looked up at him, he could see in her eyes her true wish. _That they had never crossed paths._ For some reason this hurt. It hurt a lot, and he didn't know why.

"Yes, those are very appropriate wishes at the moment," he sighed, feeling rather dejected. _Bright future my—_

"What would you wish for?" she asked, breaking him from his thoughts. He blinked. He wasn't expecting her to play along. But she seemed curious enough.

Without hesitation he answered, "That I could spare you of this misfortune."

She looked almost happy at that. "You have a good heart, Clopin. I was trying hard to deny that, but I can't. No matter what I've said, you're a good man."

He looked away and stifled a self-depreciating laugh. She was full of surprises today.

"I spoke to La Juliette last night. She said…she said I was lucky to have someone as dedicated as you," she whispered, almost to herself.

He looked up sharply. He'd have to tell that meddling fortune teller to mind her own business. "She did, did she?" he asked brusquely. She nodded, seeming unaware of his change in mood.

"Yes, and I wanted to know…is she telling the truth?" she asked, her eyes searching his for answers.

Amsie awoke with a yawn, distracting Colette.

The cat had obviously run off with his tongue. It took a moment before he could say anything.

"I'm hardly a prize," he said, shrugging, then smiled. "Other then my handsome looks and wily charm, that is," his laughter died down. He hesitated another moment. "But, I can promise you this. I will do whatever is in my power to make life easier for you. I can't guarantee anything but that."

She seemed satisfied with his answer, for she smiled tentatively at him.

"Then I suppose I'll be alright," she said. Clopin held his arms out for Amsie, and she passed the child to him with another smile.

They talked for most of the day, each asking questions about the other and getting to know them as well as they could in so little time.

He learned that she had grown up in the countryside of France but her parents had moved to the city with her so her father could get better business. He also learned that she was an educated woman. She could read and write in French, English, and even Latin, and played the harp as a child.

"What is your favorite book?" he'd asked her. A huge grin spread across her face.

"Anything really. Anything I can get my hands on. But I guess my absolute favorite would be _Beowulf_. It's a fantastic tale of a beast and a man strong enough to kill the monster. But, I always sided with the monster, Grendel. He was such a misunderstood soul."

Clopin chuckled. This woman should officially meet Quasimodo then. He'd have to arrange it sometime.

When she asked him about his favorite book, he almost blushed.

"I can't read," he admitted. "Never had much use for it."

She looked shocked, but her face suddenly lit up with apparent plans. "I could read to you, if you want, and maybe you'll pick it up."

He laughed, but he couldn't say that the idea didn't intrigue him. His mother had read to him as a child, but most gypsies preferred word of mouth.

"Perhaps," he said, hoping it could come to pass sometime. "I would be interested to hear the story of Grendel's plight." He grinned.

Amsie gurgled and tugged at his fingers. "What is it, bean?" he cooed gently. Colette was eyeing him with speculation.

"You're very good with her. I'm surprised you don't already have children of your own." There was no malice in her voice, but he wondered if she knew what she had just implied about his…social life.

"Well, I never found the right woman to have them with," he quipped, turning about her speculation.

That was the end of _that _conversation.

He told her pieces of his past. His father's reign as Gypsy King before him, his mother's death bearing his sister who also didn't make it through the birth. He told her of his many adventures in the city and he could tell she liked his stories. He showed her his puppets and they started witty banter between the puppets, laughing until it was dark.

"I should let you sleep now. Tomorrow will be a busy one preparing for the wedding. You'll have to get fitted for your dress," he informed her, hoping not to ruin the lovely evening by sending her back into depression.

He got lucky. Sighing, she replied, "Alright. I'll try not to fuss." Without warning, a look of horror came over her. "It's not going to be a _big_ wedding is it?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't have to be. It will be a big wedding, but probably a very small reception. It can be whatever you want it to be."

She frowned. "I just prefer less people. I don't really know anyone here, and I am afraid they won't like me."

He smiled mischievously "Yes, but that will change. You'll get to know many people, and I'm pretty sure your ladylike charm will woo them into liking you," he told her playfully.

Laughing, she looked relieved. "I'll leave you to your sleep then," he said, giving a low, lavish bow as he exited the tent.

He wandered around the Court for an hour afterwards, deciding to look for a wedding present for Colette. After searching for the right gift, he hadn't found anything. Frustrated, he went back to Esmeralda's tent. Phoebus was sitting, reading a law book, when Clopin came in.

"Hard day?" he asked, raising a brow at the King's unhappy expression.

"No, actually I had a rather pleasant chat with my fiancé. But I've looked up and down the shops and I can't find a suitable wedding gift."

Phoebus snorted. "Why get her a wedding gift? She doesn't even want a wedding!" he chortled. Clopin glared scathingly at him. "I know that, but it's tradition. I want to get her _something_," he said, irked.

"So why not make her something?" Phoebus asked absentmindedly, turning back to his book.

Make her something? He hadn't thought of that. But what could he make her? All he was really good at making was…

Puppets.

The idea hit him. Thanking a bewildered Phoebus who had no idea what had happened, he raced to the market just as the seamstress was closing.

"Oh, hello Clopin. Can I help you?" she asked amiably.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could buy some fabric for a special project?" he asked. He picked the material and paid for it, running back into the tent where he worked late into the night.

It would be perfect.

**Read and Review! I have been pouring over your comments again and again, just for encouragement that poeple actually care about this story like I do. :) Thank you all.**


	9. Wedding Day Blues

**Hey everyone! Here's the latest update. Colette is going to figure something out she should have thought about while ago. XD She's slow sometimes...anyways, on with the story!**

Colette awoke in a grumpy mood on her wedding day. She had always hoped, if she ever got married again, it would be the final stage of healing for her: the happiest day of her life.

Sighing dejectedly, she rolled back onto her stomach, not wanting to go face a crowd of people.

La Juliette burst into the tent with several other women in tow, and practically dragged the unfortunate girl to her feet. "Come on, come on! Your wedding is today, and you're not even partially ready! You don't want to get married in your chemise do you?" she squawked directly in her ear.

"I don't care…" Colette mumbled, glaring at the floor. The fortune teller let out a huff, picking up Amsie from her crib.

"Well, I won't have you looking like a ragamuffin for the King. Linnie! Dejanna! Could you please?" she said motioning to the two girls who were about Colette's age. They stepped forward obediently, one scowling, the other with a huge grin on her face.

"Nice to meet you, Colette is it?" the darker girl said, her green eyes flashing with what looked like friendship.

"Yes, and you are?" Colette asked warily.

"I'm Linnie. I'm the wife of Jethro, the local glass-blower," she said with a curtsy. Colette smiled at the obviously excitable girl.

"It's very nice to meet you. Are you helping me prepare for the…festivities?" she asked with a little more sparkle in her eye.

"Oh yes, we're going to make you the most beautiful girl Clopin has ever laid eyes on. Not that you aren't pretty now," she added hurriedly.

La Juliette had enough of the chatter. "Hurry now. It's nearly afternoon and she isn't ready. We're behind schedule."

With a sigh, Colette was pushed into a chair in front of a mirror and the woman who hadn't spoken and was still frowning began to tend to her hair. She finally spoke, "How do you want it?"

He tone was ice cold. Colette winced and said, "I don't care. I'm sure no matter what you do, you will make it beautiful." She was trying to break the tension, but the woman just nodded and started to heft her hair, twisting it.

"Your hair is too thick to do much with," she said frostily.

"Oh, such pretty hair! Clopin will have a grand time running his fingers through it. Don't mind Dejanna. She's just jealous," Linnie said with a giggle. Dejanna gave her a fierce glare.

"Jealous?" asked Colette warily, just as Dejanna snapped at Linnie, "Mind your own business!"

With another giggle, Linnie continued. "Oh very jealous. Dejanna was Clopin's first lover. And she always bears a grudge against anyone who even looks at her Clopie," she laughed and shook her head, just as Dejanna raised her fist to punch Linnie.

La Juliette interceded. "Girls! Today is not the day for bickering. Linnie, stop telling things to people that aren't yours to tell! And Dejanna, for Maria's sake, get over him!" Amsie looked between the women with fascination.

Colette was staring horrified at the three women, her eyes darting between them. "So…he's had other lovers?" She didn't really know why this surprised her.

Dejanna tore her gaze from Linnie and said spitefully, "Of course he has! You think a man that handsome can't get girls just by snapping his fingers? And to think, he picked you! A trespasser, likely a spy, and not even of gypsy blood! He is a reserved man though, so you needn't worry. He's only had four before _you_." She practically spit on the ground and stalked out of the tent.

"Four!" Colette shrieked. "He's slept with four women?" Now she was really upset. She had always thought making love was supposed to be a sacred thing, to be done only with those you truly loved. True she was no longer a virgin either, but she had lost it to her husband, not some floozy that hung around the tavern.

"Well yes, but that was when he was younger. No more than a teenager really. He was a wild child, but he's grown up a lot since then. He hasn't been with anyone since Frollo was overthrown," La Juliette said understandingly.

Colette couldn't deny that she didn't want to marry him more than ever now. But it was far too late for that.

_Promise you won't do anything you regret._ Frederick's voice rang in her mind. She had promised, but she was very much regretting this right now.

She didn't have much time to dwell on the new information. La Juliette did her hair and Linnie made the final alterations to the dress, which she could tell had been passed down for generations. But it still retained its beauty and elegance and she knew it was the finest dress she would ever wear.

Before she could get a grasp on her spinning head, she realized she only had an hour left of freedom. Only an hour as Colette Delaire.

She would soon become Colette Trouillefou. The thought made her shiver.

The women left the tent saying they would be back to get her when it was time. She threw herself on the bed, still mindful not to mess up the dress or her hair. She cried for only a little while, before deciding that she was being silly.

Wiping the tears from her face, she went to Amsie who was back in the cradle and held her close.

"You're going to have a new Papa, Amsie, my love. He's a King, and he will be the best Papa you've ever had," she promised in a whisper. She would make sure that was true. Even if Clopin didn't make a good husband he would damn well be a good father, or Colette swore she would castrate him so he would never have more than those four lovers.

A wretched thought suddenly came to her mind. _Not four…five._ In all her sadness and anger she had not remembered the wedding _night_ tradition.

Consummate the marriage.

That sent her into a near frenzy, the only keeping her from completely losing it: her daughter.

"No!" she growled into the quiet of the tent. "I will not!"

Amsie made an intelligent face like she knew what was going on, and she reached out her tiny hands to touch her mother's face with a child's adoration.

The hour passed by far too quickly and Linnie arrived to take Amsie while La Juliette ushered her out of the tent and down to the area where she would wait for the music to start, signaling her to walk down the makeshift aisle.

Her palms started to sweat, and she trembled as the music began, a slow steady song, beginning to swell; her cue to start.

La Juliette had to push her out and she began to walk in a way that reminded her of her lost husband as he walked to the Palace of Justice. But then, she saw him.

Clopin waited for her at the other end of the aisle by the gypsy minister, a solemn look on his face. But when he saw her approaching, his face lit up in joy.

His exuberant smile caught her off guard; she thought he had been as unhappy as her at this arrangement, but there was great pride and admiration in his face as he looked at her.

For some reason she couldn't place, she began to walk faster.

When she got to him, he took her hand affectionately in his and they both stared at each other, trying to read the other's mind.

He turned to face the minister and she did the same, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

Clopin nodded to the man, who began.

"My dearest friends, we are here today to celebrate the marriage between Clopin and Colette. As you may know, God sent Colette to save our King, and Clopin has saved Colette in return. God Himself has brought them together again in a holy bond that shall never be severed."

They both turned to face each other, searching each other's eyes for their emotions.

"Do you, Colette Delaire, take Clopin Trouillefou to be your husband? To respect and love him in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" the minister asked.

She took one last deep breath, and with the words, "I do", sealed her fate away.

**Read and Review lovelies! A long Romani tradition will be mentioned in the next chapter, as thanks to one of my reviewers.**


	10. Wedding Day Joy

**Oh my gosh, I am soooo sorry for the late update. I went to a last minute b-day party for a friend and boy, was it interesting. Anyways, here is the latest chapter! Clopin's POV, so enjoy! BTW, try and find the one line from a song I snuch in here. :)**

Clopin had never been one for celebrations; at least ones where he would be fussed over. La Juliette came into his tent at the crack of dawn, shouting to wake him up. For a moment, he was confused as to why today was different than any other day. Then he remembered.

He was getting married.

He reflected on the happenings that brought him to the brink of this ledge, and he realized with a smile: he regretted nothing. Nothing but putting Colette in this position anyways. That was usually how he worked, without regret, but there had been things he would have liked to take back in his lifetime.

Shaking his head to get rid of the dangerous thoughts that were dwelling within his head, he rose and went to get ready.

He went over to the men who were all clambering inside the underground tavern and they hooted amiably when he walked in.

"Oi, Clopin, come over and sit down. We'll buy you a drink," one said drunkenly. He shook his head.

"Sorry, my friends, but I can't very well get drunk before my own wedding. At one of yours maybe…" he grinned as they laughed raucously.

"Oh sure you can! You'll have to, to face that woman of yours. She's going to be a tough one to tame, she will be!" another said, shaking his head.

Clopin's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'tame her'," he asked with a hint of petulance.

"Why, an outside woman like that, you'll have to keep a close eye on her. See that she doesn't tell Albain where we are."

Clopin stood in rage. "She wouldn't dare, she is too good. You will not speak of my fiancé like that!" he said, before turning and marching out of the tavern, their shouts of protest ignored.

He stalked back to the tent, practically ripping his old tunic off and shrugging into the new one he had made for the wedding. It tore, and he let out a string of curses. Someone tsked from the doorway.

It was Linnie.

"My my, if Colette ever heard you talk like that, she'd probably take your own belt and beat you with it," she laughed, mocking the reversal of roles she put in his head. He scowled.

"That will be _my _job," he said, turning, though he knew he would never raise a hand against Colette.

"I just wanted to let you know, Dejanna spilled the beans. You're in for it."

"Spilled the beans about what?" he asked, confused.

"About your brief affairs with other women," she smirked. His face contorted in absolute fury.

"I'll teach that damn woman to not hurt Colette with unnecessary information about my past," he roared, but Linnie shook her head.

"It was Colette who asked. And to be fair, I had a part in it too," she said shamefully.

His fire went out, and he sighed with agitation. "It was a long time ago. Why does she even care?"

"Because we're women. We want to know who we're up against, who had claimed our husband's heart before us, and if we're going to have to watch our backs," she said, shrugging.

He mused to himself the consequences of a past life, but Linnie brought him back to the present.

"Do you love her?" she asked, intrigued.

His first instinct was to tell her to butt out, but he was not usually rude to women, so he thought about it.

Colette was a kind and gentle soul, and he would be lying if he didn't say she didn't stir something within him with her beauty. But did it go beyond friendship or simple lust? He thought about how he would do anything to gain her approval, and how he wanted desperately to be able to provide her with a good life. But he wasn't quite sure.

"I don't know," he told her honestly. If it was headed in that direction, he would find out eventually. Best not to worry about it for now.

"Well, I hope you figure it out soon. Half of your heart is like a shotgun wedding to a bride with a paper ring," she said wisely. He wondered if she had been talking to La Juliette.

She exited the tent, and he thought some more, fingering the tear in his tunic. Getting up to mend it, he knew Linnie was right. He couldn't go through with this with only a small piece of himself in it.

He'd have to put every ounce of his being in to make this work. The wedding was about to start. Oh, God, he wasn't ready to be married. She could run away, she had that much in her power, as no one could chase her, being gathered in the square as they were.

But then, he gathered his courage and walked out to face his bride.

He stood there for what seemed like eternity before the music started up. The musicians were well rehearsed, but Clopin wasn't paying attention to them. All he could focus on was the beautiful woman in front of him.

He stared at her approaching figure, her cheeks aflame, every bit the blushing bride. He felt his heart clench as he realized in a short moment, this extraordinary woman would be _his_.

His to hold when she cried. His to laugh with when she was happy. His to share his most important thoughts and memories with. His to cherish forever.

He fell in love.

He nearly laughed right there at how cliché it was, but there was something building in him. A feeling that was absolutely more powerful than any emotion he had ever felt. When she looked up, he broke out into a smile of joy beyond joy. She looked surprised, but she walked quicker towards him, entranced by his excitement.

When the minister had asked her the fateful question, she had taken a deep breath before answering in a sure voice, "I do."

The minister turned to him. "Do you, Clopin Trouillefou, take Colette Delaire to be your wife? To love and respect her, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

He grinned at her, her eyes widening, and he said in the surest and strongest voice he had, "I do."

The minister gave them a jar, in a symbol as old as Romani history went. The vase would shatter and the amount of pieces it broke into signified how long the marriage would last. Together, they threw down the vase and watched as it shattered. Clopin held his breath as he counted to himself.

There were more than thirty pieces! He almost whooped in elation, as the custom said that if there were more than thirty shards, the pair would be together for life.

"Then I declare you both Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride."

_Oh damn it!_

**Read and Review! Otherwise we may never see Clopin get some sugar! XD**


	11. Fears and Assurances

**Hi all! Another chapter headed your way. There is a bit of fluff in this one, but this will not be THE chapter. Not yet; she doesn't love him...yet. XD Sorry for the inconvenience for those of you who were hoping for some lovin'. Enjoy!**

"You may now kiss the Bride," the minister said jovially.

The world seemed to stop on its axis.

Colette's eyes widened in fear. She had forgotten this part too. She could see Clopin had as well, for he stopped a moment to gauge her reaction.

But she was resigned to her fate now. Where she had dreaded everything before, when she had seen his smile, all fears were erased for a moment. She didn't know what changed, but she felt she could go through with this now.

She leaned towards him, and he snapped out of his trance and took her face in his hands tenderly. He leaned in slowly, giving her a chance to change her mind, but she wouldn't humiliate him like that.

Their lips met in the middle, and she felt a flash of fire shoot through her body at the simple touching of their mouths to each other.

She pulled back abruptly, but no one seemed to notice but Clopin, who look shocked for a moment, then smiled at her sadly. He understood perfectly what she was going through, but he seemed happy to have kissed her.

They turned to face the crowd, who roared their approval, and he raised their hands, intertwined, high in the air.

But Colette barely heard them, wrapped up as she was in her own world.

She had kissed him. She had_ kissed_ him. It was betrayal. Betrayal to her dead husband, betrayal to herself.

And yet…

It didn't feel like betrayal at all.

She looked over at Clopin as they walked down the stairs to partake in the celebration. She felt the fire again. He was absolutely stunning, and not in the way her husband had been on their wedding day. Unlike David, who had looked elegant in fine clothes and an air of calm happiness, Clopin looked at her with giddy almost-tangible joy, dressed in the only good tunic and hose he owned.

Why was he so damn happy?

What could have changed, that he had gone from secretly dreading this as much as her, to seeming like he was about to burst with pride?

God, what had changed in _her_ that _she_ was accepting all this without a fuss? She looked across the mass of people, who were opening wine bottles and feasting on meats, fruits, and cheeses. They were oblivious to her inner thoughts, yet Clopin seemed to know exactly what was going on in her head.

He squeezed her shoulder, and smiled at her, flashing his brilliant white teeth. She smiled back, unable to resist when he was so happy.

They ate and drank merrily, until it was dark, Colette forgetting her troubles and making jokes with the others as he did.

When one drunk man had tried to sidle up to her (a just married woman, for goodness sake!) she had slapped his hands away in anger.

"Oh ho, you've got a feisty one here, Clopin. Be careful she doesn't steal away your title as King," he said. Clopin laughed, though he eyed the man with careful savagery, warning him to keep his hands off.

"Ah yes, but I dare say, were I to give up my title to someone, I'd much rather it be her than anyone else," he said.

She blushed at his teasing, but played along.

"Hm, I suppose I should take you up on that offer. The first thing to go would be this forced marriage law," she said, only a small bit of petulance in her voice. But it didn't seem to faze Clopin.

"Well then, my dear, I suppose that will mean our vows before God are meaningless, and therefore we shall have lived in sin," he chortled.

The simple jesting comment sent her pulse hammering in her chest, having been reminded by Clopin's jest. Once again, she had forgotten the nightly act of love that would soon spring upon her.

She paled, and quietly said, "Excuse me," before getting up and leaving the group. No one seemed to notice, drunk as they all were, except Clopin, who had been careful to only drink a few drinks so he would not be drunk.

He got up and followed after her, the group finally noticing, and wolf whistling, telling him to go track down his bride, but Colette was not in hearing range anymore.

She went to the tent, realizing this was the last place she wanted to be, and stared at the bed in frustration and horror.

Hadn't she been resigned only a moment ago? But her nerves returned, and she was terrified into a statue-like trance.

"Dear, are you alright?" Clopin's voice came from the entrance of the tent.

She shuddered and turned to face him, his face illuminated only by the candlelight. He looked with what looked like affection, but she could not be sure, for she was in tears.

"I can't. Please, don't make me. I can't do this. Not tonight," she whispered to the floor.

He took a small step forward and raised her chin up until she looked at him.

In a grave voice, he said, "I suspected as much. I will not make you do anything you don't want to do." She thought she saw some pain in his face for a moment, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Thank you," she whispered, and he gathered her into his arms.

"But…could you do one thing for me?" he asked. She nodded warily.

"Amsie will be spending the night in Linnie's tent. Could I…hold you tonight, as a man should hold his wife?" he asked hesitantly, like he was expending great effort just to get out the words.

Nearly smiling, she said, "I think that would be fine."

She went behind the tapestries to strip to her chemise, he still fully clothed to make her feel better. They lay down together, and he wrapped his arms around her.

Her eyes grew heavy after awhile, and the last thing she heard before she drifted into oblivion was the sound of Clopin singing her a lullaby.

**Read and Review! :) That last chapter was the sweeter side of Clopin. He's not all bad, ne? Lol, I'll update again as soon as possible.**


	12. No Regrets

**Hey there my lovely readers! I wanted to thank you for the flood of reviews I got last chapter. Here is the next chapter for your (hopeful) delight. Here you go!**

Clopin looked at the form of his sleeping wife in the dim light. Tears were still dripping down her cheeks, and she looked exhausted from the day.

He reached his hand forward to push a strand of hair from her faze, and gazed at her face in a mix of pain and adoration. He loved her. He loved her and she did not return his feelings.

Sighing, he sang to her a lullaby.

_Never knew I could feel like this  
Like I've never seen the sky before  
Want to vanish inside your kiss  
Everyday I'll love you more and more  
Listen to my heart can you hear it sings  
Telling me to give you everything  
Seasons may change winter to spring  
But I love you until the end of time_

_Come what may, Come what may  
I will love you until my dying day_

_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place  
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace  
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste  
It all revolves around you  
And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide  
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side  
Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide  
But I love you until the end of time_

_Come what may, Come what may  
I will love you until my dying day_

As his song ended, he sighed, kissed her on the cheek, and blew out the candle, sinking the tent into blackness.

He awoke early to the smell of something delicious. Yawning sleepily from a restless sleep, he looked to the far end of the tent to see Colette cooking over a small fire, allowing the smoke to escape from the opening in the top of the tent.

She had not yet noticed he was awake, too lost in her thoughts and her task.

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She shrieked and nearly dropped the spoon she had been stirring with.

"Good morning, dearest. It smells very good," he laughed at her reaction as she quickly detangled from his grasp, blushing a lovely pink that suited her quite well.

"Don't do that, scaring me half to death!" she chastised him, hitting his head with the spoon.

Chuckling with mirth, he jibed, "Just hope you don't get scared half to death twice."

She rolled her eyes and went back to preparing the food. "I hope you're hungry. I'm afraid I made a little too much," she admitted ruefully.

"Very. I'm surprised you've taken to your wifely duties so quickly," he teased.

She frowned, realizing that she had been playing the role of a good housewife without thinking about it. She hummed in agitation and served their food while they ate in companionable silence.

"Since I'm just married, I am allowed to skirt around my duties for the day and can show you around if you want," he broke the silence with a smile.

She smiled in return. "Oh, that would be very nice. I would very much like to meet everyone today." Her face fell. "But I just can't tell if they like me. One minute they're hungry for my head, the next they treat me like one of their own."

He nodded and took her hand in his. "I won't let anyone hurt you. Besides, I'm pretty sure they do think of you as their own, now that you're a married woman."

He could tell she was still nervous, and a little agitated at the constant reminder. "I promise I'll protect you," he added sincerely. She smiled at that, and they got dressed on different sides of the tapestry.

They left the tent where the morning had already begun for everyone else. Clopin breathed in deep, relishing in the smell of home.

As they walked, Clopin pointed out various things that Esmeralda had forgotten to show her. He laughed when she showed him the ankle bracelet she had gotten from the gypsy, with a, "I'll need it" when she told him what it was for.

He pointed out various people that were important to the functions of the Court, introducing her as they went. Everyone seemed to like her, much to his pleasure.

Linnie ran out to greet them as they passed her tent, holding Amsie, who had spent the night there so the newly wedded couple could have alone time...not that it was necessary. "Hey there, Colette, Clopin," she greeted them both in turn. "Oh Colette, you were absolutely stunning in your dress last night!" Getting closer to whisper in her ear, she giggled, "I'll bet Clopin couldn't keep his hands off, eh?" She passed Colette her child.

Clopin couldn't hear her, but he guessed what had been said if Colette's red face was any indication. He changed the subject, before Colette was obligated to answer.

"Linnie, perhaps you would like to accompany us on our tour? You can point out things that would be a lot more interesting to Colette than matters of State." Colette shot him a grateful glance.

"Of course! But I think you ought to go on your merry way, to leave us women to chat," she said, taking Colette's arm. He looked to his wife to see if it was what she wanted, and she nodded to him, thanking him for spending time with her, if only briefly. He didn't really want to leave, but he figured she could do with some girl bonding.

"Alright, I will take my leave. I will be at the shops. I have a…project to finish," he said with an air of mystery.

He walked off, and Linnie dragged Colette into her tent.

Clopin went to the square, looking for the final pieces of the puppet he had been making for Colette. He found paints for the face, and went back to the tent to work on it.

Painting the last eye on the puppet, he set it out to dry, quite pleased with his latest work of art. As soon as he was out performing again, he would introduce Little Colette to the kids.

He lay back, looking at the puppet as his eyes drooped heavily. He hadn't had a good sleep, wrapped up as he had been looking at his wife's sleeping face, completely absorbed in her visage.

He dreamed.

He dreamed he was sitting on the top of a high mountain that was covered in snow. Yet, he wasn't cold. He could feel a presence somewhere near him, and he turned to face it.

Colette stood, her eyes looking at him like they could see his soul, and she took a step towards him, smiling. He smiled as well and reached a hand out to her, beckoning her to come closer.

But she didn't. Instead, her face took on a disgusted look and she turned from him, curses in her words.

_You have betrayed me once again, Clopin. And this time, you will pay for it._

She began to run away, and he tried to chase her, demanding to know what he had done wrong. But, as often happens in dreams, he was too slow; his feet felt like they were weighted down with lead.

He collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, but he continued to call out after her.

_Clopin. Clopin._ Her voice came from far away, and he jolted into awareness.

He shot up and looked around wildly, before his eyes focused on his love, looking at him with worried eyes.

"Clopin. Thank goodness!" she sighed, smoothing his hair from his face. "It seemed like you were having a nightmare. Are you alright?" Amsie reached out to touch his face, looking worried as well.

He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, and shook his head.

"Nothing bad. Nothing you need to worry about. Living in a world like ours, you can't help but sometimes get bad dreams. Don't worry about it," he said, trying to dismiss it with a wave of his hand. "Did you have a pleasant talk with Linnie?" he asked hurriedly, distracting her.

She smiled happily and nodded. "Oh yes, she is a very pleasant companion...mostly. She's such a sweet girl, and I think we could be good friends."

He grinned, pleased that she was adjusting well. "And what did you talk about?" he asked playfully, knowing Linnie's tendency towards the risqué.

Sure enough, Colette blushed and told him to mind his own business. "You are my business," he replied, but didn't press the matter further. Amsie giggled intelligently, and Clopin guessed it was only a matter of time before she could understand everything they spoke of.

They all went back out, deciding to walk above ground. He took his girls around town, telling them of all his favorite places in the city. They passed by her house, which she walked by quicker than he would have expected. "I…don't want Nanny or Frederick to see me," she explained.

He took her hand in his, squeezing it as they walked by. She looked at their joined hands, and he could see she was debating whether this was acceptable or not. Since they had shared a bed last night, he had thought it wouldn't be a problem, and she apparently came to the same conclusion. Amsie looked at them with a bemused expression, an Clopin wondered if he had been wrong in thinking she couldn't already understand them.

After their walk, they returned to their tent where Colette cooked once again, getting used to her role of a wife after not having had one for so long.

He watched affectionately as she settled Amsie in her bassinette, and sang a soft song to lull her to sleep.

When it came time for the adults to go to bed, he wondered if he would have to sleep in clothes for the rest of his life. She stripped to her chemise, and turned to look at him warily. He debated, staring at her for a long while until he shrugged out of his tunic, now bare-chested before her, watching her the whole time. She instantly flushed and looked away.

He sat down on the bed in silence, opening his arms and she came forward slowly, but he waited patiently. She came into his arms, but he once again, did not push her. They crawled under the covers and all was silent.

"Does this bother you?" he asked at last, breaking the quiet that had descended upon the underground city.

She breathed shakily. "I'm not sure. I'm not used to this, but I know I'm being silly."

He leaned up, to look at her. "Not silly. I understand. I will give you as much time as you need," he told her reassuringly.

She shook her head. "But, it's not fair to you. I will try to get more comfortable with this," she said determinedly.

He stroked her face, and said, "Take your time, Colette. Don't rush and don't regret."

He thought he saw a tear on her face, but she smiled a moment later.

"I promise."

**Read and Review! Clopin is being good now, but how long can a guy run on abstinence? XD**


	13. Warnings

**I just spent the last few hours writing furiously, so I can update again in one day! Yay! This is basically the same chapter as the last, only in Colette's perspective. And Linnie and Colette's conversation is revealed. Enjoy!**

Colette had woken early the day after her wedding, with her sleeping husband's arm wrapped around her. She felt hot all of a sudden, and tried to escape without waking him. She succeeded, and looked around the tent. The colors no longer bothered her, but she felt useless among the well crafted ornaments.

Deciding to get breakfast started, she built a tiny fire under the opening of the tent and cooking a thick porridge that she had bought several days ago and brought with her.

She was thinking about last night's discussion, and the gracious response from Clopin.

_I will not make you do anything you don't want to do._

She had felt so relieved at his understanding of her plight. Most men would not have been that understanding, and they would probably have ignored her plea and had their way with her.

But Clopin had told her she could wait. That he would wait for her to be ready.

She smiled absently, until arms wrapped around her waist unexpectedly.

"Gah!" she shrieked, and had to catch the spoon she was holding.

"Good morning, dearest. It smells very good," he laughed at her reaction. She removed his arms, whacking his head with the spoon and scolding him for scaring her.

He commented on her taking on her wifely duties so quickly, and she had frowned, realizing that she had indeed been cooking his meal.

"Since we're just married, I am allowed to skirt around my duties for the next few days and can show you around if you want," he informed her.

She smiled at him. She had thought, being married to the King of the Gypsies, she would be alone a lot. But he seemed determined not to make that the case.

"Oh, that would be very nice. I would very much like to meet everyone today." Her face fell. "But I just can't tell if they like me. One minute they're hungry for my head, the next they treat me like one of their own."

He promised he wouldn't let anything happen to her, and for some reason, she believed him. He had a way with speaking that made you believe his words were written down so resolutely, that they should be part of the Holy Book.

They walked around the village, him showing her the things that he did in his day, and introducing people as they went.

Suddenly, Linnie came bursting out of the tent they were near, with a squeal and Amsie in her arms. "Hey there, Colette, Clopin," she greeted them both in turn. "Oh Colette, you were absolutely stunning in your dress last night!" Getting closer to whisper in her ear, she giggled, "I'll bet Clopin couldn't keep his hands off, eh?" With the lewd comment, she passed her daughter over into her arms.

She flushed in embarrassment, and just as she tried to think of something to say, Clopin distracted them.

He invited Linnie to join them, but Linnie insisted that she and Colette should have some time alone to talk. Colette was eager to make friends, though she had a strange feeling that she wanted Clopin to be there.

However, Linnie was adamant that they talk alone, so he walked off, saying something about a project. Linnie dragged her into the tent and sat down, bouncing excitedly. "So?" she asked.

Colette was confused. "So what?" she asked back. Amsie looked between the two women.

Linnie's face took on a sly look. "Was he good?" she asked solicitously.

Colette's face went beet red, and she nearly ran from the tent. "Wha—? Why are you asking me?" she stuttered, eyes looking everywhere but at Linnie.

Linnie was not deterred.

"Because, other than Dejanna, you are the only one here who's been with him. The others left after they separated," she said matter-of-factly.

Still blushing, Colette muttered, "I didn't sleep with him last night." Linnie's eyes went wide. Colette's baby copied, looking wide eyed at her as well. She nearly laughed.

"_Really?_" she whispered loudly. "Why? What's stopping you?"

Colette sat down across from the gypsy girl. "I wasn't ready. I couldn't bring myself to," she admitted.

Linnie looked at her with a mix of acknowledgment and disapproval. "Well, I understand, but you need to be very careful."

"Careful?" Colette asked, suddenly looking up at Linnie. She nodded.

"Yes. Very. Dejanna is rather determined to get him back; 'to steal him right out from under your nose'," Linnie frowned, quoting what Dejanna had said to her the day before.

Colette was horrified. While she didn't love Clopin (at least, that's what she was telling herself) she still was certain that she didn't want him taken away from her. It would crush her, though she wasn't sure why.

"Men are easily tempted, and though he's matured since he was with her, Clopin is no exception. Be very careful that a cold marriage bed doesn't drive him to take other paths of pleasure," she warned, then abruptly cheered up, adding, "But, I'm sure Clopin won't do anything stupid for the time being."

Colette thanked Linnie for her time, excusing herself saying she needed to find Clopin. Linnie smirked at her excuse. She and Amsie rushed back to their tent, afraid that Dejanna was already making a move. But, when she walked in, she was relieved to see Clopin asleep on the bed.

A she took a closer look, though, he looked pale and a sheen of cold sweat was on his face. He looked like he was having a nightmare.

"Clopin. Clopin," she called, shaking his shoulders gently. His eyes suddenly flew open, and he bolted upwards, eyes searching wildly for something she couldn't see.

"Clopin. Thank goodness!" she sighed, her hand reaching out, seemingly of their own volition, to smooth his hair from his face. "It seemed like you were having a nightmare. Are you alright?" Amsie touched his face worriedly.

It was so quiet she wasn't sure if she heard it, but she thought she heard him sigh in relief.

"Nothing bad. Nothing you need to worry about. Living in a world like ours, you can't help but sometimes get bad dreams. Don't worry about it," he tried to wave it off, but she could see he was edgy.

But, before she could ask again, he distracted her with a question about Linnie. He asked what they talked about, and she felt her face heat up. She told him it was none of his business, to which he laughed and replied, "You are my business."

They went out of the tent soon after, taking a walk above ground. As they passed her house, she felt her heart stop, dreading if Nanny should come out and see them. Amsie gurgled happily at the sight of the house, but looked confused when they did not go in.

He took Colette's hand, giving it a squeeze. She felt her chest constrict, her heart beating wildly, though she felt exasperated at the feeling. But after a moment, she collected herself and allowed the contact.

They walked back to the Court after sunset, being careful to watch for followers or guards. They got to their tent, and she began to put her darling daughter down for bed. She sang to the sleepy child until she nodded off into dreamland. "Pleasant dreams, my sweet," she said lovingly. She undressed for bed, still leaving her chemise on. She looked behind her to Clopin, who was staring intently at her.

She remembered Linnie's warning, and wondered what she should do about it. Before she could decide, Clopin slowly took off his tunic, leaving him in only his hose and with a bare chest.

She looked away quickly, blushing, but the image was already imprinted in her mind. He had a strong body, with an athletic chest, long tantalizing arms, and a muscular stomach. The sight made her shudder in barely concealed pleasure.

They lay down on the bed together, pressed closely together. Colette thought she might faint.

"Does this bother you?" he asked at last, breaking the quiet that had befallen them.

She took in a shaky breath, cursing herself for her lack of control over her voice. "I'm not sure. I'm not used to this, but I know I'm being silly."

He leaned up, to look at her. "Not silly. I understand. I will give you as much time as you need," he told her reassuringly.

She told him how unfair she was being, but he simply responded, "Take your time, Colette. Don't rush and don't regret."

A single tear fell from her eyes, and she smiled at him.

"I promise," she told him.

**Read and Review! Dejanna is going to appear several more times in a rather...interesting way. XP Hope to hear from you all soon.**


	14. Distractions

**Hello friends! Here is the next chapter, and I daresay it is one of my favorite chapters. Lots of misunderstandings and revelations. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.**

A week passed quickly, and the last week of autumn was upon the city. It would soon be winter, which meant only a short time before the money income would be drastically cut for the gypsies. Clopin had presented his wife with Little Colette, and, to his great relief, she loved it. He performed with the new puppet for the week, with Colette watching in the crowd.

Clopin was glad to see his beloved growing so accustomed to her new life, and would do anything to make her smile. He loved little Amsie as his own flesh and blood, and played with her often. He was falling deeper in love with Colette, and his moods reflected his newfound purpose in life.

Of course, as his love grew, so did his desire for her, but he had vowed to never force anything on her, so he would keep his touches chaste. Every night was plagued with dreams of her, both innocent and erotic, and he often woke, panting and restraining the urge to claim her as his own.

On one such day, everything took a turn for the worse.

He had woken up, as usual, from a dream; one that was both wonderful, and awful for the King. He'd woken up and quickly had to calm down before his wife could wake up and see his…predicament.

He walked out into the undeground square after he'd settled down, sitting with his head in his hands, wondering how much more of this he could take.

Colette came out to him, worried when he hadn't been in the tent, but she smiled when he told her everything was alright. They ate a quick breakfast, and she told him she'd be taking Amsie to La Juliette's before Clopin bid his wife and his adopted daughter adieu and left to go perform for the children.

To anyone who didn't know him well, the crowd would say Clopin performed marvelously, a perfectly rehearsed play, with just the right amount of elements like comedy and suspense. But to someone in the know, they would say Clopin was quite distracted.

His traitorous thoughts kept turning to his Goddess Divine, as he liked to call her playfully, though there was more truth to it than Colette realized.

When the play had finally ended, it was dusk, and he realized ruefully that he had spent practically all day lost in his fantasy world.

He returned to the tent in excitement to see his wife, but he was met with and entirely different woman.

Dejanna.

She was sitting on his chair, patiently awaiting his arrival. He was suddenly on his guard. Dejanna had been his first lover; one he regretted having. She was manipulative and jealous and had made his life a living hell for the two years they were together. He, deluded into thinking he was in love with her, hadn't seen it until his friends had told him they saw her with another man. It ended up being true.

"Hello Dejanna," he said politely. "May I help you?" his eyes glanced quickly around the tent, dismayed that Colette was not here.

"Hello, Clopie. It's been awhile since we've talked. I just wanted to catch up. How are things going with Colette?" she asked sweetly. He narrowed his eyes.

"Splendidly. She's getting used to life here, and I must say, she captivates me more every day," he said, with slight malice in his voice. He saw a flash of anger in her eyes, but she masked it well.

"Oh, that's good to hear, because Linnie tells me she won't sleep with you," Dejanna said bluntly, with no pretense of civility towards his wife.

He froze. _Damnit, Linnie, mind your own business!_ Putting on a fake smile, he said, "This is true. She isn't ready, and who am I to question a woman's emotions?" he shrugged, hoping she'd take a hint and leave. She didn't.

"Hmm, such a pity. For her, I mean. You were so good in bed, I'm afraid you're missing out. Everyone has seen how you've been walking around as tense as a coiled spring," she said, tapping a finger against her chin innocently, but Clopin knew better.

She stood, walking over to him, and draped her arms around him. "But, I could fix that you know," she said seductively. He scowled and pushed her off, but as she fell, she grabbed his hand and pulled him down with her.

Just as Colette walked in.

"Clopin? Are you here? I was just—" she stopped short, eyes widening at the sight before her. Dejanna, on the bed, with Clopin on top of her, looking like a deer caught in a hunter's trap.

"Oh! Oh my…I…please excuse me!" she turned and fled the tent, tears forming in her eyes.

Clopin made a move to go after her, but Dejanna caught his arm. "Clopie, don't waste your time with her. She isn't worth it, she'll never love you like I do," she said, batting her eyes. He shoved her off.

"Let go, you whore! You will leave immediately, if you know what's good for you," he growled menacingly. She got up, and with a sneer, left the tent. Clopin took off running.

"Colette? Colette!" he called out into the square. He caught sight of Linnie and Esmeralda talking in worried voices. "Esmeralda, where is Colette," he demanded. "There's been a misunderstanding. Where is she?" he was practically yelling now.

Esmeralda glanced at Linnie, and said, "She's gone back to the tent, she said she needed to pack: to leave right away."

_She must have waited until I left the tent._ He realized. He sprinted back to their quarters, where he found her weeping as she packed her clothes.

His wife turned suddenly, presumably to get a stray article of clothing and when she caught sight of him, stalked forward and slapped him hard across the face. His head jerked to the side with the impact, but he did not move beyond that.

"You bastard! You've betrayed me again!" she spit in his face. "I thought, maybe, just maybe, even though I didn't want to be here, you would be the one to change my mind!" A sob escaped her chest and she sank to the floor.

He knelt down next to her, trying to apologize, but she would hear none of it.

"Why? Why would you hurt me? I was trying. Really I was. Every night has gotten harder! Every night I lose a piece of my resentment towards you. Each night, against my better judgment, against my very will, I fall a little more in love with you!" He froze. "And I hate it! I can't stand how your smile makes me feel like the world is better because you're in it! I can't stand how you hold me close in the night, making me feel like I'm the only woman in your life that you like to hold. And most of all, I can't stand the thought that you don't feel the same!"

He was stunned into speechlessness. She…loved him? When had it changed?

"When—" he began to say, but she cut him off.

"When you showed me that damn puppet. When you presented it to me like it was no big deal that you had made me a gift. When I saw in your eyes what I thought, at the time, was love. I was so confused for days afterwards. I didn't want to fall in love with you, but I couldn't help myself. I got lost in your soul, which I thought was pure and good," she had been crying the whole time, her voice breaking several times. She glared at him through her tears. "My mistake. You've betrayed me again, and this time, you will pay for it. I'm leaving, now, and you will not stop me."

She grabbed her trunk and moved towards the door, but Clopin jumped up and did stop her.

"Please, Colette, don't do this! I can explain—" she cut him off again.

"Explain what? Your little tryst with Dejanna? Your infidelity because I won't bring you pleasure? What would you like to explain, Clopin?" she yelled angrily.

Finally provoked, Clopin grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard. "That I _love _you, Colette!" he yelled back, eyes dark fire. He had not cried. Not since his mother died along with his sister. But now, the thought of losing his most precious person was enough to make him nearly weep with dismay.

She stopped for a moment.

"What?" she whispered.

"That I love you!" he said again, shaking her more gently this time. "Don't you get it? I do love you. I wasn't with Dejanna. She was the one who tried to seduce me, not the other way around. I would never, _never _hurt you like that. I love you!" he said, looking in her eyes with sincereity.

"Don't…" she pleaded. "Don't lie to me. I can't stand it…" she began to cry again, and he held her close, praying she wouldn't push him away.

"I'm not lying, Colette," he murmured quietly. "I can't even begin to tell you how much I love you. How your gentle personality calms my soul. How your quiet air of dignity makes me proud of your strength. How your careful innocence drives me to distraction. I love every part of you, Colette, please, please, don't doubt that."

She looked up at his face, searching for the truth, but she found that he was telling it. They stared at each other for a long time, and slowly, Clopin bent his head to hers. They touched foreheads, then he leaned in to press his lips softly against her. Slowly, hesitantly, she responded to him.

She kissed him back.

**Read and Review! Oh ho, I leave you with a cliffhanger! Will the next chapter finally be the one which causes the rating to go up? Hmmm...we'll see.**


	15. Crows to the Carriage

**Welcome to the next chapter! This one gets a little er, intense in some places, but it is not the cause for the rating to change. That change will occur in a few more chapters. I know, I'm evil for stringing you guys along like this, but I felt they would not progress quite yet. Enjoy the tease for what's to come!**

_She looked up at his face, searching for the truth, but she found that he was telling it. They stared at each other for a long time, and slowly, Clopin bent his head to hers. They touched foreheads, then he leaned in to press his lips softly against her. Slowly, hesitantly, she responded to him._

_She kissed him back._

Colette felt herself awaken. His lips molded to hers, softly beckoning her back to him. And she found she couldn't resist his heartfelt plea for forgiveness. After all, he was telling the truth, that much was evident. And because he was, he had done nothing wrong. Yet he continued to apologize.

He broke the kiss, pulling back to look at her with undisguised love for her. She felt her pulse racing through her chest, threatening to leap from her throat as she sought words that would make this right. But she found words were useless. Instead, she leaned up and pressed her lips once again to his.

He responded instantly, moving his hands to her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, unable to be close enough. When the need for air began to press at them, she pulled back again, whispering to him, "I love you."

His eyes were soft and he smiled a smile that sent her pulse hammering through her chest. He leaned his forehead against hers, and responded, "As I love you."

She felt her spine tingle at his words, and she felt the fire that had plagued her for days ignite in her veins. She looked him straight in the eye and moved until their lips were less than a centimeter apart.

"I'm ready."

She crushed her lips to his, feverish and willing. Willing to be his, finally, and his alone. Her eyes closed of their own accord, and she moved forward, backing him up towards the bed. He pulled her down onto it, and she felt a twinge of fear for what was about to take place. She stifled it, not wanting to be afraid. She knew she didn't need to be afraid while she was with Clopin.

His hands moved to her face, angling her head up so he could trail light kisses down her neck. Her hands moved to his head, where she ran her fingers through his hair. He nibbled and licked until she whimpered at the sensations she had not felt for so long.

"Are you sure about this, love? I don't want you to do anything you're unsure about," he murmured against her skin, making her shiver as his breath caressed a sensitive spot behind her ear.

"I'm sure about you," she responded, and he did not question her again.

He rolled them so he was hovering over her, and his hand trailed across her stomach, down her side, curling his hand around her calf. He lifted her leg to wrap around his waist.

Her breathing hitched at being so close to him, but she was no longer afraid. She sat up, and he did the same. She moved her hands from his hair to teasingly lift his tunic over his head, discarding the clothing in some far corner of the tent. She gazed unashamed at his bare torso with half-lidded eyes.

She trailed her finger down his chest, and he shivered at the contact. He captured her mouth in a passionate kiss, deepening it as he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, requesting entrance.

Who was she to deny him?

She opened her mouth and their tongues danced together. She moaned softly, and this encouraged him.

He began to undo the laces on her dress, his nimble fingers making quick work of the offending material. She couldn't wait to find out what else those hands could do. The dress joined his shirt.

She was left in only her chemise, and it slid down one shoulder, exposing the skin of her neck more fully. He pulled her down and leaned forward to kiss the joint of her neck and collarbone, biting down lightly, leaving a mark. She raked her hands down his back at the sensation, leaving marks of her own. He hissed at the feeling, his tongue swiping across her sensitive skin soothingly.

She whimpered again, and he pulled back, his breath coming raggedly.

"Oh God, Colette. I can hardly stand how much I want you. Keep making noises like that, and I can't be held responsible for what I do," he whispered as she moved to kiss the line of his jaw. She could feel his arousal growing and it pleased her that she was the one evoking these reactions.

She smiled at the power she held over him, and whispered teasingly in his ear, "Then don't hold back. Lose control."

Clopin nearly growled when he heard her words. He pressed her into the softness of the bed, reveling in the feeling of the contours of her body pressed so close to his. His hands moved to pin her hands down, and he kissed her with scalding passion, finally allowed to be free in his ministrations.

He was about to pull her chemise off (if they didn't have to worry about getting a new one, he probably would have ripped it off) when all of a sudden the tent was illuminated with light.

"Clopin, are you—oh my God!" the voice startled them, and they quickly looked up. Phoebus was looking at them, eyes wide with embarrassment. He hurriedly looked away. When Clopin could speak, he was not amused.

"Here now! What is the meaning of this, Phoebus!" he yelled at the unfortunate man. The man was looking away from the couple, who were still locked in an embrace.

"Um, I'm sorry, but there's a problem—" he was cut off.

"It can wait!" Clopin said with promised violence in his voice.

"But the people are requesting you—" Clopin interrupted again.

"Damnit, I said it can wait! Just tell them their King is busy making heirs!" Colette blushed and he almost didn't care if Phoebus was still there.

"But there were trespassers. They're guards: Albain's guards. We have them tied up on the stage, waiting for your judgment," Phoebus explained before his angry leader could yell at him more.

"Bloody hell! Fine! I'll be there in a moment. Get lost before I decide to hang you instead of them!" he bellowed, and Phoebus hurried off before he could get in serious trouble.

Clopin looked to his wife under him, her face a comical mix of surprise and anger.

"I'm terribly sorry, my love. I have to go take care of this. Wait here, and I shall return to your arms as fast as the wind slips through your beautiful hair," he told her, getting to his feet and pulling his tunic back on grudgingly. She caught his arm as he put on his hat.

"I'll be waiting. Eagerly," she grinned, and gave him a long, teasing kiss. He nearly pounced on her right there, but he knew he had a job to do.

He ran out of the tent, eager to get this over with as fast as possible. When he got to the square, he stalked towards the two tied up guards. He bent to look them in the eye, their fear radiating off them.

"Well well, what have we here?" he asked mockingly.

"Spies!" the angry mob shouted.

The pair of men looked at each other, quaking at the uproar. Clopin grinned wickedly, and motioned to a clan member to drape a noose around each of their necks.

Clopin began to sing gleefully. Despite his eagerness to get this over with, he had a flare for theatrics.

_Justice is swift in the Court of Miracles_

_I am the lawyer and judge, all in one_

_We like to get the trial over with quickly_

_Because it's the sentence that's really the fun!_

He almost didn't even bother with protocol. Almost. But in the end, he couldn't resist.

"Marriage will save you from the coroner's carriage!" he sing-songed childishly. The crowd laughed.

"But, I highly doubt there will be an offer twice in one month, but oh well. Going once? Going twice? Going, going, gone!" he gripped the lever and pulled, releasing the trapdoor and the men fell to their death. Their necks snapped, and they twitched their last.

Clopin looked on with a sadistic grin, ready to excuse himself and hurry back to the tent, until he saw who stood in the crowd, at the very back, her face contorted in pain and disgust.

Colette.

**Read and Review! Dun dun duuuuun. What will Colette think of the rather sadistic side of Clopin that we all got to know in the movie?**


	16. Vanishing Act

**Hi everyone. I'm updating again today, and in it we will be officially introduced to Prince Albain...ew. I hate two of my own characters. XD Dejanna and Albain are the characters I love to hate. So, without further ado, here is chapter sixteen.**

Colette waited in the tent, her foot tapping against the floor, trying to resist the urge to pace. All her fears had been replaced with desire, and she wanted her husband to the point of pain. Her stomach was fluttering, her heart was racing, and her lust was uncontrollable.

She constantly looked towards the entrance of the tent, praying he would come through in the next second, eager to begin where they left off.

Eventually, she found she could no longer wait, and went out to see what was taking him so long. She wandered to the square, where a mob had gathered once again. She felt a wave of déjà vu sweep over her, and it was like she was seeing herself from a great distance.

Two men were on the stage, as well as Clopin, who was obviously annoyed and anxious to get this over with. She suddenly realized he was going to kill them. She didn't know why this startled her; weren't they going to kill her had Clopin not stepped in? But still, she knew no one was going to save them.

She couldn't feel her body, it was as if she had disconnected from herself as she watched in horror as Clopin pulled the lever, and down they fell to their deaths. It wasn't the sight of them jerking with their last breath, nor the sound of their necks breaking that terrified her.

It was the look on Clopin's face.

He smiled with delight at their plight, and then when they died. A look of utterly sadistic glee. But then, he looked up and their eyes met.

The smile disappeared when he saw her expression. She didn't even know what expression she wore, and she tried to feel her face from the inside out. It must have been one of disgust, because she saw his face fall.

The crowd was slowly disintegrating, and he jumped down from the stage, walking towards her. She remained motionless.

He approached her slowly, gauging her reaction. "Colette…are you alright?" he asked softly, taking her hand. She suddenly shuddered violently, burying her face in his chest.

"Horrible. It was horrible. Why? How could you smile? How can you enjoy taking life from another?" she asked, not sure if she should be letting him hold her.

"The same way they enjoy taking our lives," he told her in a hard voice, though she knew his cold tone was not directed at her. "But," his voice softened, "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

She looked up at him, and he caressed her cheek. She pulled away, but couldn't bring herself to do anything when hurt flashed across his face.

He led her back to the tent in silence, and they got undressed for bed, neither in the mood to continue their previous encounter. She still went to his arms, but she felt numb, like she had seen another side of the man she loved that she had not realized was there. She drifted into an uneasy sleep.

When she awoke, she found Clopin had already left to go above and perform. She looked to his pillow, where a note rested.

_My Dearest Colette,_

_I had Phoebus write this note for me, as I have no skills in writing whatsoever. I have left early as we only have a short time before I can't perform above ground, due to weather conditions. I think we need to talk about last night, and I eagerly await seeing you again to do so. My love, I am sorry you had to witness that, but I'm not sorry for what I did. Please, come up to my wagon, which will be in the west side of the city today, and we can talk when I'm finished._

_All My Love and Affections,_

_Clopin_

She smiled at his thoughtfulness, but then frowned when she knew they would have to talk about what she had seen last night. She honestly just wanted to pretend like it never happened, but this was something they needed to work out if their relationship was to be a healthy one.

She dressed in her clothes for going to town, wondering if she would ever dress like a gypsy, or if Clopin would want her to pierce her ear to signify her status. She retrieved Amsie from La Juliette's tent, and they went out into the cold air of the city.

Amsie was still asleep in her arms, and Colette took the time to look at her baby's face, loving everything about it. What would have become of her if Clopin hadn't let her join the Court when her mother did? She shuddered to think of it.

She got to the area her husband had said he'd be, and sure enough, there was the brightly painted caravan in the middle of the street, where Clopin was dancing around with his puppets before the kids.

She was approaching hearing range, when a carriage came by, with guards surrounding it. Clopin looked up, as did the children, and a look of dread came over everyone's face as they saw who it was. Amsie looks at the carriage with apprehension, and was quiet in her mother's arms.

Colette did not recognize the man who stepped out, but she instinctively knew who it was. She was sure she would have recalled his face, for he had the whitest complexion of anyone, women included, that she had ever seen.

It was Albain, Prince of Paris.

He stopped a short distance from the caravan, and looked around with a disgusted look. He addressed her beloved directly. "You are Clopin Trouillefou, are you not?" he asked in a high pitched, leery voice that immediately grated on Colette's nerves. He said it like he was surprised a gypsy even had a name.

Clopin jerked his chin up defiantly and answered, "Yes, I am he. And you must be Prince Albain," he said, giving his name a goofy voice. The children giggled, much to the annoyance of Albain. Amsie giggled too, though she didn't understand.

"I am. And I daresay, gypsy, you are causing something of a mess in my city," he sneered. Clopin feigned a look of worry.

"Who, me? Why, monsieur, I had no intentions of ever stepping on your well-tailored shoes, I assure you," he said in a mocking voice. Albain glared at him and his guards took a step forward.

"Mark my words, gypsy, I will find the Court of Miracles, and when I do, it will be the death of your entire nest of witches," he said menacingly, and Clopin laughed.

"And how, my pasty friend, so you expect to do that?" he quipped. The prince's face contorted into what could have been a smile had it not been so hideous.

"By taking you to the Palace of Justice and bleeding it out of you," he replied, motioning to his guards. They surrounded Clopin, and Colette took a step forward, terrified for her husband. He was still at ease.

"Oh dear me, whatever am I to do. I suppose I'll have to surrender. Silly prince, don't you know a magician always has a last trick up his sleeve?" he chuckled, before throwing down a handful of red salts that burst into a cloud.

The guards choked on the smoke, coughing and Albain growled when he saw Clopin had disappeared. "Witchcraft," he roared, ordering the guards to search for him. They ran from the street, Albain getting back into his carriage as riding off. Amsie clapped her tiny hands, pleased to see her father still standing a short distance away. She noticed him before anyone else did.

The children were looking around worriedly, wondering where the brave entertainer had vanished to. Colette suddenly saw him walking back from the other side of the street.

The children surrounded him, all yelling over each other.

"How did you do that!"

"Can you do it again?"

"Clopin, you were incredible!" the children all were giggling and talking excitedly. Colette came out from her spot and ran over to them. He spotted her and opened his arms just as she flung herself into them, daughter squeezed between them.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" she cuffed him over the head, and he pretended like it hurt.

"Owww, my wife is being abusive. Children, don't let this mean woman hurt your Clopin," he laughed, and his puppet came out. The children laughed along with him.

"Clopin, you silly nit, you haven't the slightest idea how women think do you? She was just worried that Albain was going to whip your—" the little puppet began in a high voice before Clopin shushed him.

"Neji, language please! Not in front of the children," he scolded the puppet. The kids were laughing harder, giggling in their joy at their friend's safety.

"Hmph, but it doesn't matter. You know she likes me more than you, don't you dearest Colette?" the puppet turned towards Colette, who was grinning at Clopin.

"Of course, dear Neji, but don't tell Clopin about our secret relationship or he'll be crushed," she whispered dramatically. The children were now holding their sides in their laughter.

"Oh shut up, Neji! Now children, we must be going so I can discipline this naughty puppet. But, we'll be back next spring for your entertainment," he informed them. They all 'awwed' when they heard he would not be back, but all gave him hugs and wished him well. When everyone was gone, Clopin turned to Colette with a smile.

"Good day, ma Cherie. I'm glad you were here to see my daring escape. I'll need to teach you how to do that," he chuckled, reaching out to hold Amsie. He cuddled her close.

"Clopin, you could have gotten in serious trouble. And then I'd have to avenge your sorry behind and go up against Albain's guards myself," she added sarcastically at the end.

His face took on a sad look. "Do you see now why I couldn't allow those guards to live yesterday? Why it's dangerous to do anything but kill them?" he asked softly, holding her shoulders and looking into her eyes.

She hesitated, but said, "Yes. I see now that you were doing what you had to in order to protect your people. But, I will never understand why you take happiness out of it."

"Because do you not see how they enjoy tormenting us? They will take any opportunity for a genocide, and I cannot let that happen. I take happiness, not out of killing them, but about knowing there is one less enemy to face."

She nodded, and held him close. "I'm just glad you're alright. I can't condone what you did last night, but I can understand it. I love you," she whispered and looked up at him.

"And I love you."

He kissed her gently, and the small family walked back to the Court, arm in arm.

**Read and Review! I wanted to make Albain seem a lot stupider than Frollo, but with more power. He's going to succeed in some areas where Frollo did not, so beware.**


	17. Day of Doom

**Another update is here! Lots of laughs in this chapter, because I wanted a break from the angst, sexual tension, and all other things that threaten to tear our lovers apart. Old characters from the first few chapters will be re-introduced, so go back and read them if you forget who they are. :) So enjoy!**

Clopin reflected on how much had changed in his life in a month. He had almost been killed, saved by an angel of a woman, married said woman, and brought her daughter into his house as his own. They had grown as a couple, and Clopin had much more confidence that La Juliette was going to be right...as usual.

There was just one thing irking him. They still hadn't consummated the marriage.

And if wasn't for lack of trying, oh no, every night (and day, for that matter) found the two lovers attempting to express their love physically. But they were always interrupted. Whether it be by an unsuspecting guest, Amsie waking up in the middle of the night, or someone kicking them out of the tavern because it was "an inappropriate time and place", they were constantly getting rudely interrupted and growing more and more frustrated.

"This can't be happening," Colette growled as she pushed up from a clearly aroused Clopin, who was about to scream at the sky, to pick up Amsie who was already screaming bloody murder for no apparent reason. At least, none valid enough in Clopin's mind.

She picked her baby up in her arms and rocked her gently. "She's teething. It must hurt like hell. I'm glad I don't remember my baby years," she muttered, not able to be angry with her daughter who had no control over the situation and wasn't _trying _to keep them apart.

"Big whoop-de-freakin'-da," he mumbled, trying not to be angry either. "Every child has to go through it, and there have been plenty of kids that haven't screamed that loud." He sighed, "But I guess she can't help it."

Colette giggled despite herself, opening her mouth to tease him. He flashed a glare in her direction. "I warn you, Colette, now is not a good time to crack a joke. You know as well as anyone how well I can appreciate a well said joke, but I'm not in the mood."

She promptly shut her mouth, still smiling, and settled Amsie back in her crib as the little girl was finally done screaming for the night. Sighing, she climbed back intro bed, and they snuggled together, each agreeing they would try again the next day.

It was going to be a long wait.

The next day was a wintery day, and if the weather was a predecessor for the days to come, it would be the coldest winter on record in many years. But, down underground in the Court, the temperature was significantly higher. Many of the gypsies only ventured out to get supplies, so the problem with the guards lessened considerably.

"Good morning, love," Colette kissed her husband softly as she climbed out of bed to get dressed.

"Don' wanna get up," he mumbled into the pillow. Clopin felt lazy today, and the bed was nice and warm.

Laughing, she pulled the covers off, and he flinched at the cold on his bare torso. "Give it back!" he yelled, reaching blindly for the sheets. He looked up at Colette who was dangling the cover from her pinkie, a smirk on her face.

"Come on, lazy bones, get up. We're going above today and getting me some fabric. I've decided I'm going to help with income for this family by my sewing. We need it," she insisted, and he grudgingly got up and pulled on a shirt.

"So, you feel, on a whim, like taking over my role as the breadwinner of the house. Figures."

She bent down to replace the covers and as he passed, took the opportunity to pinch her behind, laughing when she jumped.

"Fair play, dearest," he told her as he went behind the tapestry to search for food for later.

Colette muttered something under her breath as she went to pick Amsie up and wrap her in warm clothes.

A short while later, the three were making their way to the fabric store. Sophia was there, and she looked at them as they came in. She raised her eyebrows as they walked in together.

"Colette? Wow, it's been awhile. How are you?" she asked as Clopin browsed the cloth. She looked questioningly at Clopin, and whispered to her friend, "What are you doing with a gypsy? And their King, no less."

Colette whispered, "It's a long story, really, but we're married," she said, grinning. She covered Sophia's mouth before she could let out a squeal of delight.

"Really?" she asked excitedly. Colette nodded. "I never thought you'd get married again, and especially to a gypsy, after what happened to…" she trailed off sadly, but perked right back up. "But I daresay, you've got yourself quite a catch! He's soooo good looking," she swooned.

Colette really liked Sophia. She had no qualms with her friend being married to someone who would traditionally be beneath her. And she was a hopeless romantic.

"Beloved, what about this piece?" Clopin asked, coming over to them with a beautiful, brightly colored fabric.

He gave her the bundle as she handed over Amsie to him, and Sophia looked ready to faint. "It's lovely, dear. I think I'll get that one and the one over there," she said pointing to a black fabric that would go nicely with the one Clopin had picked. He walked over to pick it up, and Sophia grinned and whispered, "And he's hands on with Amsie? Colette, he's a diamond in the rough! Look at him!"

Clopin was bouncing Amsie in his arms, humming to her absently as he looked at cloth for his puppets. Colette smiled tenderly.

"I know he is, I got very lucky," she told Sophia.

They paid for the fabrics, and with a goodbye hug from Colette and a gentlemanly bow from Clopin (much to Sophia's delight) they walked out into the cold air.

"I liked her. She reminds me of Linnie," he told her with a laugh. She nodded, but was focused on the street to their left. It was the street that led to her house.

He noticed her preoccupied look and followed her gaze. "Do you miss it?" he asked quietly. She immediately shook her head.

"Not really, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss Frederick and even Nanny. But, when I was there, I wasn't really living. I was existing. Amsie kept me going, but I didn't get out much. Nanny always said I'd never find another husband with my attitude. She was right. I had to have my world shaken up before I could do that," she smiled up at him, "And then you crashed into my life, and I guess I should thank those guards who beat you up for sending you right into my arms."

He smiled and bent to kiss her. "There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for the same thing. But…I think it would be alright if we went and visited them. I don't want to take people out of your life."

Her eyes widened, and she asked with excitement, "Really? Could we go now? I want Frederick to know that I kept his promise. That I wouldn't regret anything." Clopin nodded, happy that he could give his wife this gift.

They walked to the house and Clopin was suddenly nervous. He knew Nanny hated him, and Frederick may or may not approve. He scoffed as he realized this was exactly like asking a father for his daughter's hand, after they were already married.

She unlocked the door, and they stepped in cautiously. "Who's there?" bellowed male's voice, and Frederick came through the hall. "If you're here to steal you might as well turn your sorry ass right back around, 'cause you've got Justice coming if—" he stopped when he saw the family at the door.

"Colette? Is that you?" he asked, smiling suddenly, and running over to embrace her. She started crying almost instantly.

"Yes, Frederick, it's me! I came back to tell you something," she pulled back to look at his old, wrinkled face. "I kept my promise."

His face lit up with joy, and he looked over from her to Clopin, who was standing with Amsie, smiling softly at his beloved. Frederick recognized the love in his face, and nodded to himself. He cleared his throat and turned towards Clopin.

"So, you're the fellow Madame married?" he asked gruffly, extending his hand. Clopin looked a little scared, but reached out to shake hands with the old man.

"I am," he said, giving a bow of respect. "Clopin Trouillefou, at your service." Colette smiled at her two favorite men.

"And what are your intentions for my Mademoiselle Colette?" he asked in a hard voice. Clopin started to sweat.

"Well," he began, but Frederick suddenly smiled and laughed, "Don't worry about it, son. I'm just pulling your leg."

Colette giggled and Clopin looked relieved as he chuckled. "Sir, if I may, I will answer your question anyways. My intentions could be ordained by Saint Maria herself. I intend to love Colette with every fiber of my being as long as I am alive, and even longer, if there is indeed life after this. And I will be good to both her and Amsie and keep them from harm. I swear to you that I will sacrifice everything, down to my life should the need arise. And if I should fail, I will take full responsibility, and face both your Judgment in this life, and God's in the next. I promise all this with you as my witness," he said, full of passion and sincerity as he gazed at his girls lovingly.

Frederick was speechless. He didn't know what he had expected, but it certainly wasn't this. He had worried that Colette would live a miserable life, but he could see the emotions running high between the small family, and realized there was no one better suited for Colette and her daughter than this gypsy.

He smiled, and said in a loud voice, "Well then, no need for standing at the door. Come in, everyone, and we'll see if we can't have a celebration feast tonight!" He led them to the dining room, and yelled, "Nanny! Come and see who's here!"

Clopin gave his wife a worried look as Nanny rounded the corner. She stopped short when she saw the family being led in by Frederick.

"Here now, what's all this?" she asked, looking shocked. Frederick smiled and said, "Nanny, Colette's come home to introduce us to her husband." Nanny took one more look at them, then waved the rolling pin she was holding and charged at Clopin.

_Oh God, Judgment day is upon me_ he thought.

**Read and Review. Lol, I can just picture Nanny freaking out worse than my aunt when I brought my first boyfriend over to introduce him. XD**


	18. Charmer

**Oh my gosh, I am SO sorry for not updating, but I've had the most terrible stomach flu these past few days and I could barely get out of bed, let alone write. So here is the next chapter. Hopefully I'll be better in the next few days. Enjoy!**

Colette knew that in about two seconds, Nanny would knock Clopin out with her rolling pin, and proceed to mercilessly beat him within an inch of his life. That would not be a good thing, she decided, so she needed to do something.

Before she could move, before she could even blink, Frederick stepped in front of Nanny, and snatched the weapon from her hands before she could stop him. "Now now, Nanny, no need to be rash. I know how you feel about Clopin, but you need to calm down," Frederick said calmly and held the pin above her head where her short stature couldn't reach.

"You're calling this fiend by his name? Are you all crazy? He kidnapped Colette and you're all acting like everything is hunky-dory?" she shouted, reaching fruitlessly for the rolling pin. She suddenly stopped and whirled on Colette. "And you! You threw away your life and the life of your daughter by marrying this wretch. And I don't give a damn if you rot in hell because you've decided to bind yourself to a Godless heathen!" she turned to storm off, until Colette spoke.

"You're wrong," she whispered angrily. Nanny spun on her heel, looking at her with indignant surprise.

"What?"

"I said, you're wrong. Clopin is neither a wretch nor a heathen. He is the funniest, kindest, and most loving man I have ever met, and that includes David!" she yelled at her maid. When her father had arranged a marriage between her and David, she had been complacent and learned to accept and even admire the man she was betrothed to. Yet, there had always been something lacking.

She now knew what it was.

True love.

Yes, she had loved David. But there had been an absence of the understanding that she and Clopin possessed. While David had been reserved in his affections, Clopin was recklessly willing to make himself vulnerable to her, and showed his love for her every day.

And now Colette realized why Nanny had been so fervent in her protests when she brought Clopin home the first time. Nanny likely knew what was going to happen.

She couldn't have known they were going to marry, surely, but she probably guessed that he would be able to give Colette what she had desired in her previous marriage. Equal partnership, freedom, understanding, and most of all, love.

"You didn't want me to find anyone but David, because you didn't want me to resent what Father chose for me," she said aloud, stunned by her own realizations.

Nanny scowled. "Of course, you ungrateful girl! This man, if you can even call him that, destroyed your promising future of security. He will satisfy his lust and leave you broken, with nothing but a lost future of a good husband who could have provided you with a good life," she snapped.

"I don't want security! I want to love for real this time, I don't want it to be some mirage; some fantasy that disappeared when David died. I did love David, but it was not the same. This man, who is standing before you, is a gentleman that could outshine any man who came to my door, offering me all the wealth in the world! I love him, and he loves me. He proves it every day, and if you can't accept that, then I have nothing more to say to you," she said in a low voice, turning and moving towards the door, stifling tears.

Clopin stepped in front of her, and held her securely, with Amsie between them.

"Love, please, don't leave it like this. You both deserve better closure than this. You need to work out your differences before we leave. Don't make me regret having brought you here," he said softly, holding her close as she cried. He whispered soothingly into her ear, and when her anger finally subsided, she looked to Nanny, who was looking with indignant surprise at the pair.

"Nanny…" she started, letting go of Clopin and turning to face her fully. "I'm sorry you cannot see Clopin as I see him; for who he is. If you could, you would see that he may not be perfect, but he is perfect for me. He is exactly what I needed. I don't expect you to understand, but please, let's not part with this anger. Can you forgive me for disappointing you, even if I'm not sorry for it?"

Nanny looked behind her at Clopin, and they stared at each other for a long while. "Please, for her," he mouthed silently and she understood.

Nanny looked back to Colette, who still had tears in her eyes. "I can see you are in love, even if it's not with who I hoped it was. I am not pleased, not at all, but I can't deny you my blessing, seeing as how you're already married to him," she muttered.

Colette opened her arms, and Nanny hugged her fiercely. When they had finished, she stalked over to Clopin and said to him in a severe voice, "I'm telling you right now, you have a treasure in your life. A princess in God's kingdom, and you will treat her as such. If she ever comes to our door with any bit of complaint about you, you_ will_ answer to me."

Clopin smiled reassuringly. "Yes ma'am," he said, "I promise."

Nanny nodded, seeming satisfied with his vow. "Now, I suppose I should get supper ready, if Amsie is going to have a proper dinner," she said grudgingly, before hurrying off into the kitchen.

Colette breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Frederick laughed and said jovially, "I think that went well!" Clopin hugged Colette and held her hand as they all walked to the table and sat down.

A while later, Nanny came out, balancing several trays full of meats, soups, and cheeses. She almost lost one, but Clopin quickly stood and caught the tray, setting it on the table.

"Whoops, are you alright Madame?" he asked, concerned. She looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"I'm fine, don't fuss!" she snapped, but Colette could see she was as helpless to her husband' s charm as Frederick had been. She was softening up.

As the night progressed, Nanny became friendlier to Clopin, much to Colette's delight, though whether alcohol was involved Colette couldn't be sure. The group ate and drank merrily all evening, and Colette was pleased when she was much tipsier than Clopin was, which meant points for him in Nanny's eyes.

When the evening was over, Colette looked on as Clopin shook hands with Frederick and kissed Nanny's hand, thanking them for a wonderful night and bidding them adieu.

Colette held a sleeping Amsie and Clopin draped his cape over Colette and wrapped his arms around her shoulder, kissing her on the cheek.

"Frederick was right, that did go well!" he exclaimed happily as they walked towards the Court entrance. Colette grinned and laughed, "Thanks to you, my wicked charmer."

He chuckled and said, "Well, I may have cast a spell or two, but don't worry. It will wear off by morning and Nanny will go back to hating me tomorrow."

They arrived back at the Court and Linnie came out, requesting that Amsie stay in her tent "to give you two some alone time". The couple were surprised, but willing, wondering if tonight would finally be the night.

They went back to the tent and Colette sidled up to Clopin, smirking. "You know what would make tonight perfect?" she asked slyly.

He grinned back. "Hmm, I can only think of one thing. Perhaps our ideas are the same?" he replied smoothly.

She leaned up on tiptoes and kissed him, and they knew, yes, tonight would be perfect.

**Read and Review! The next chapter is the one we've all been waiting for. The one that will spring the story to M rated. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter, and if you have any suggestions for the next. Thanks!**


	19. Expressions Of Love

**Okay, here it is: THE chapter! Please keep in mind that this is only my second attempt at a love scene, and it is not very graphic for the most part. I wanted to keep it somewhat innocent.**

_They went back to the tent and Colette sidled up to Clopin, smirking. "You know what would make tonight perfect?" she asked slyly._

_He grinned back. "Hmm, I can only think of one thing. Perhaps our ideas are the same?" he replied smoothly._

_She leaned up on tiptoes and kissed him, and they knew, yes, tonight would be perfect._

Clopin knew this chaste, innocent kiss would not last very long; not with the eagerness that he could sense in not only himself, but in his darling wife as well.

The only sound in the tent was the whisper of their lips moving in synchronization, and his soft words of love for her, speaking only when they would pull away for breath. The kiss deepened, their tongues battling for dominance as they moved to collapse on the bed. Colette grudgingly let Clopin win this battle, but really, were there any losers in a war like this?

She rolled them so she was atop him, leaning down, her long tresses creating a curtain of privacy where the only interruption was the need for air. Clopin swore in his mind, if anyone interrupted them tonight, he would strangle them himself, sod Colette's response.

He leaned up, licking his way up her jaw until he got to the corner of her mouth. He paused in his mission, staying there until he heard her stop breathing in anticipation and he kissed her with all the passion he had within him, with all the understanding and adoration and love that his body possessed.

He sat up, she did the same, and he tried to undo the laces of her bodice, but this time, they were a lot more complicated. He got a frustrated look on his face, and he glared at Colette when she laughed, "Having trouble dearest?"

Growling, he retorted, "I wouldn't be if you didn't tie it so bloody tight!" But he found the catch and released her from her corseted dress. She was once again left in her chemise.

"Love, I do believed you're over dressed," she whispered teasingly in his ear, licking the shell of his ear.

He smirked. "Well then, perhaps you should correct that problem." She looked into his eyes, her own sparkling with desire and excitement. That look alone made his…predicament…get worse. She trailed her fingers down the front of his tunic, playing with a button for a moment as if debating something.

She suddenly gripped the fabric and ripped open the front of it, the buttons flying everywhere. Clopin's eyes widened for only a moment, and before Colette could blink, she was under her very aroused husband.

"You know, that was my favorite shirt," he told her nonchalantly. "And I think you need to be taught how to treat other people's belongings with respect." He moved his hands to her chemise and, showing great restraint, did not tear it off, but gently lifted it off of her.

She giggled, "What a gentleman. You certainly—" but her teasing was cut off by her gasp as his mouth descended onto her chest. "Oh God!" she whimpered as he took a nipple in his mouth, his tongue flicking out to tease her. He looked up. 'Did you learn your lesson?" he asked, though he was surprised he could speak properly with all this bottled up lust he felt for her.

"I…believe…so," she panted, head tilted back in ecstasy as he moved back to her breasts, his ministrations on them making her hot and bothered. Her hands moved to run up his lean stomach, to his smooth chest, and into his hair where she gripped hard as his sinful mouth continued to bring her unspeakable pleasure.

He brought his mouth back to hers and he knew that he never wanted to kiss another as long as he was alive. Their passion was fierce, their fire: uncontainable.

He stretched himself over her, his hands wandering down her side until he came to the apex of her thighs. Her breathing stopped completely as he slipped a finger inside her, dipping, caressing her sensitive womanhood, and she moaned at the feeling.

He moved his fingers in and out, until she was clearly ready. She whimpered at the loss of contact when he pulled back to strip off his hose. She grinned and her eyelids fluttered at the sight of him completely bare to her, and she to him.

"Hmm, I think I have a…rather large problem we need to take care of, he said smirking as he lowered himself back over her, both of them moaning at the feeling of skin on skin. He kissed her, long and slow, its intensity building, until neither could take the suspense anymore.

"Please, Clopin," Colette whispered. She could feel him smile into her neck and moved so he could push in as slowly as his self control would allow him. She heard her breath rush out of her at the feeling of him inside her, only a small bit of pain after having not made love in so long.

He waited for her to adjust, breathing heavily against her shoulder. She kissed the side of his neck, and this was his confirmation to begin moving. He pulled out and swiftly thrust back into her. Oh God, the feeling. He began at a slow, tantalizing pace, so slow she was about to yell at him to stop teasing her. But he sensed her need, and began a much more rapid pace: one that had her soaring in pleasure and unadulterated bliss.

She wasn't sure what words emitted from her mouth, but she was pretty sure there was a lot of "Clopin", "faster", and "yes" was involved in her incoherent words.

They lasted longer than she thought, despite the long time of abstinence.

But she could feel the tension building, and finally, she could stand it no longer. Clopin shuddered violently as his climax seized him in its fiery grip, and Colette heard herself scream his name as she too was pushed over the edge.

Linnie had told her several days ago, while she was venting her frustrations about their non-existent sex life, that Romani men had a special motive in sexual intercourse: to make their woman scream in ecstasy. They enjoyed bringing their prowess to the bed and pleasuring their women until they could not contain their voice.

Colette found out that night, Linnie was right.

As their high slowly began to subside, Clopin gathered his wife into his arms, still breathing heavily, and held her close.

"God Colette, you've unleashed a monster. I'll never let you out of bed again," he promised, kissing her neck amorously and laughing breathlessly.

"Well, we still have the rest of the night," she said, leaning atop him and smiling. Oh yes, they did. They made love again and again, neither willing to stop. Clopin was pleased when he found his wife so insatiable, and took great pride as she screamed his name every single time.

When the sun came up, Clopin snuggled with his wife, holding her as close as possible, and they both talked into the early hours of the morning. There whispers were hushed and tender, and Clopin loved every second of the time they shared together, until they both, completely spent, drifted off into heavy, blissful sleep. As his eyes closed, he whispered to his darling, "I love you".

**Read and Review! What did you think? Love it? Hate it? Please let me know!**


	20. Never Tell

**Sorry for the very long wait. Oh gosh, I feel miserable with this sickness. I've been hallucinating and throwing up and all kinds of crap that isn't good for the body. I hope you can forgive such a late update. Warnings: There is some torture in this chapter, but I promise the story will have a happy ending.**

_A woman ran through the streets, seeking the place she could get out of the snow that fell softly to the ground. She came up to a most lavish house; some would call it a palace. Guards were placed at the door, but they paid her no heed as she brushed past them and slipped through the door._

_A servant came over to her to take her shawl. "Please tell your master that his confidant is here," a sly voice spoke._

_The servant hurriedly ushered her inside a room where a warm fire roared and a bed loomed in the shadows. "My dear Prince, I do believe you're expecting me?" she asked in a simpering voice._

_Albain turned from the fireplace and faced the woman with a smirk that rivaled a gargoyle's grimace. "Indeed, my dear. I trust you've arranged everything with my captain?" She grinned wickedly, a cat like purr emitting from her full lips._

"_Oh yes, it's quite decided. By this time tomorrow you'll have the Court of Miracles in the palm of your hand, and I'll be buried to my neck in riches, if my memory serves me correctly."_

_Albain strode over to her, taking her face in his hands and kissing her lips soundly._

"_Good girl, Dejanna."_

The weeks had passed faster than Colette could comprehend. She looked up from her sewing to her husband, who was sitting on a trunk, mending his puppets after their season of wear and tear. She smiled softly to herself as he caught her gaze and held it, waggling his eyebrows at her suggestively. She laughed and shook her head, looking pointedly at the bassinette where Amsie sat up, playing with the doll Clopin had made her.

He sighed dramatically and stood, reaching his hand out in a gentlemanly gesture to help Colette stand. "Shall we take a stroll above, dearest?" he asked, smiling brightly. And how could she say no, despite the cold that waited for them.

"I really wanted you to meet some of my other friends. Friends in…high places, you could say," he told her as they walked down the road that led to Notre-Dame with Amsie in his arms. The snow crunched beneath their feet as they walked. She raised a brow, wondering what they were doing going to the church. Clopin wasn't one for attending mass, and she had given up on trying to get him to go pretty quickly. She gathered that Clopin wanted to introduce her to the bellringer. Quasimodo was his name, if she was remembering correctly. He had mentioned a gathering of Esmeralda, Phoebus, Quasimodo, and himself to her several days ago, and requested she join them.

There had been talk of possible betrayal by someone in the Court; four more guards had found them, and they'd dealt with each one, but foul play was suggested when one of them, defiant despite his impending death, said that Albain would have the Court in less than a fortnight.

Clopin took extra precautions, ruling that everyone had to be extra careful and have minimal contact with the outside world. He and several of the other leaders would gather in the cathedral to discuss the clan's safety, and prepare for potential war, ready to claim sanctuary at any point should Albain find out about their secret meetings.

This time, Colette was going with them.

A throng of people were gathered outside the church, all focused on the same point ahead of them, and Colette grew curious to see what was going on.

Her heart stopped beating as she saw a huge group of guards standing, with a group of the gypsy leaders bound and blindfolded. Albain stood on the steps of the church, speaking to the gathered crowd. "…these men have committed crimes against our city, and they must be stopped! We will draw them out, deal with them in the only language the scum of the earth know, and rid Paris of their evil!" he shouted with passion.

Colette looked to Clopin, who was looking on with horror as the group of gypsies, including Esmeralda and Phoebus, were being led to the Palace of Justice.

But the look on his face lasted for only a fraction of a second, he immediately sprang into action. Placing Amise in her arms, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Go. Take Amsie into the church and stay there," she tried to protest but he put a finger to her lips. "I mean it, Colette. There's no time for arguing. They're coming this way, and I have to save them. Go to the bell tower and find Quasimodo. He'll make sure you're safe. Go!" he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, before he vanished into the shrowd of darkness the church cast over the square.

She stood for several seconds, her heart tearing itself in two while people looked at the group being led away, unaware of the pain she was bearing as her husband went to try and free his companions, risking his life to save what he held dear to him.

She gathered Amsie to her chest, running as fast as she could into Notre-Dame. She did not stop running as people looked at her strangely, nor as they ascended the stairs, taking two at a time. She ran until she reached the tower, crying out into the blackness, "Please, someone help!"

Silence was a smothering mist in the bell tower, and she sank to her knees with Amsie, sobbing in her grief.

"M-Mademoiselle, are y-you hurt?" a gentle voice called to her from the blackness. She looked up blearily, her tears not helping at all as she tried to see into the dark, where a figure stood. A candle lit and she realized who it was. Quasimodo.

He limped over to her, kneeling down next to her. She was momentarily shocked by his ugliness: his huge asymmetrical shoulders and his swollen eye. But she found she couldn't care. Couldn't be afriad. All she cared about was he was there to help.

"Please! You have to help. They…Albain…he's gone mad! He's going to kill them!" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

He looked at a loss, trying to calm her down, speaking kindly to her, "I know what's happening. I saw it from here, and I'm preparing to help. Please, don't fear. I'm going to the Court to rally everyone and Madellaine has gone to the square to gather supporters who may help us."

Her crying finally subsided, and he took her hand, leading her over to a room where she could sit and have a glass of water. "Quasimodo, I need you to get Linnie for me when you go. Tell her she must watch over Amsie for me. I have to go help Clopin," she said as calmly as she could, her voice breaking in several places.

Quasimodo looked at her apprehensively. "Clopin would not want you to risk yourself or your daughter—" she cut him off.

"Would you let Madellaine fight without you?" she asked, voice stern, and Quasimodo realized she was right. He nodded in understanding. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he said in a grave voice.

Colette watched as he left her and Amsie to gather everyone for a revolt. She did not cry. Instead, she looked into her baby's face, memorizing her dearest daughter's eyes. She knew this could be the last time she would see that tiny creation or hold her small hands.

The time went far too quickly for Colette, before Linnie ran in, hugging Colette fiercely and taking Amsie from her. "Please, Colette. Be careful," she called out as Colette took one last look at her little one and ran down the stairs to the foreboding streets of Paris.

Clopin was dragged into the Palace of Justice, grimacing.

_Well, damn. That didn't work out very well at all._ He sighed internally, wondering how the hell he was going to get out of this one. He had snuck up behind the guards and held a knife to one of their throats, demanding to the others that his friends be released of he would kill their partner. Apparently, they didn't really care, nor stop as they attacked him. He was able to slit the one's throat, but only right before they had grabbed him and shackled him with the others. He had put up a fight, kicking one away and ripping flesh from another using his sharp teeth, but all in vain. Now he had the salty taste of blood in his mouth and a bruising jaw to prove it.

The men who held his arms (they weren't taking any chances) threw him into a cell separate from the others. He knew what that meant. It had happened to his father before him. But Clopin was not going to fail like his father had. He was strong, and was not going to budge. They would have to pry information from his dead body before they could succeed. They would _not _have the Court of Miracles.

Albain strode into the prison, accompanied by a guard, a haughty smirk on his face. "Well, gypsy, it would seem that I have won," he sneered. Clopin laughed.

"Not yet, you haven't. You may have caught some of us, but you still haven't a clue where the Court is. And you'll never know," he said in a patronizing voice. Albain growled and motioned to the guard who unraveled a whip, trying to intimidate Clopin. He wasn't fazed.

"You honestly think pain is going to make me talk?" he snorted. "I've endured pain from your type before, and believe me, those scars are much deeper than anything a piece of leather can do."

Albain glared at Clopin angrily. "We'll see if you talk or not. Or if your pretty wife talks," he added in a sly voice. It was Clopin's turn to glare.

"Liar. You don't have her. She's safe, and there's nothing you can do about it," he said disdainfully. Albain smiled his ugly smile and leaned down to face Clopin.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. She came in after you, trying to protect her dear husband who couldn't protect her. And I just left her with the other guards. You know, she's a very pretty one. I think my guards are getting their fair share of payment for the month. And I'm sure you know what that means, with that twisted gypsy mind of—" he was cut off as Clopin spit in his face.

"I know you don't have her. You can't toy with my emotions that easily. She is safe," he said, as much to himself as Albain.

Albain staggered back, wiping his eye, and glared daggers at the gypsy king. "Captain, let him have it!" he roared, and Clopin heard the whistle of the whip through the air, gritting his teeth when it ripped into his back. The new captain of the guard was much better at this than the last had been.

"Tell me where the Court is!" Albain yelled, punching Clopin in the jaw. Clopin's head turned, but he laughed breathlessly anyways.

"You'll never find it. I'll take it to the grave. Feel free to do whatever you want, it won't change a thing!" he yelled back.

The whip cracked again. Albain spoke louder, "If you do not tell me, you will die here, as well as your wife. Tell me!"

"Go to hell!" Clopin roared back. The whip descended again and again, until marks crisscrossed his back, the blood seeping through his tattered tunic. Albain, who realized that he would get nothing from the leader, turned to leave, with instructions to the guard to beat him until he talked or died, whichever came first.

Clopin's vision blurred as the whip bit into him many more times, but he did not cry out in pain, though it was nearly unbearable.

In a hoarse voice, he began to sing to his beloved Colette, who he knew he'd never see again. To his wife, his lover, his soul mate. His one and only, his friend, his strength.

_Come what may, Come what may  
I will love you until my dying day_

He prayed, the first true prayer he'd ever made, that no matter what happened to him, Colette and Amsie would be safe. He had vowed he would give up everything for them, and he was now keeping that promise. He felt her; he felt as though she would hear him if he called to her.

"Colette, I love you!" he cried out as the whip snapped once more.

**Read and Review! Hm, don't know how I feel about this chapter. I don't like to write torture scenes especially after I've witnessed it myself. I hope you can forgive the morbidity.**


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